CVE-2024-1763 in Wp Social Login and Register Social Counter Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 03/13/2024
The Wp Social Login and Register Social Counter plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized modification of data due to a missing capability check on the /wp_social/v1/ REST API endpoint in all versions up to, and including, 3.0.0. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to enable and disable certain providers for the social share and login features.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/20/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-1763 affects the WP Social Login and Register Social Counter plugin for WordPress, representing a critical authorization flaw that undermines the security posture of affected systems. This issue resides within the plugin's REST API implementation and specifically targets the /wp_social/v1/ endpoint which handles social login and sharing configurations. The vulnerability stems from a fundamental missing capability check that should have been implemented to verify user permissions before allowing modifications to core social authentication settings. This oversight creates a pathway for malicious actors to manipulate the plugin's behavior without proper authentication credentials, directly compromising the integrity of social login configurations.
The technical flaw manifests as an insufficient access control mechanism within the plugin's REST API framework, where the application fails to validate whether incoming requests originate from authenticated administrators with appropriate privileges. According to CWE-285, this represents an inadequate authorization check that allows unauthorized users to perform privileged operations. The vulnerability enables attackers to manipulate social provider configurations through unauthenticated API calls, potentially allowing them to disable legitimate authentication methods or enable malicious ones. This capability directly violates the principle of least privilege and creates opportunities for attackers to disrupt user authentication flows or redirect traffic to compromised social platforms.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data modification, as it fundamentally compromises the trust model of the WordPress site's social authentication system. Attackers can disable legitimate social login providers such as Google, Facebook, or Twitter, effectively locking out users who rely on these authentication methods while simultaneously enabling potentially malicious providers that could be used for credential harvesting or phishing attacks. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which covers social engineering through compromised authentication systems. The attack surface is particularly concerning because it affects the core authentication infrastructure of WordPress sites, potentially leading to broader compromise of user accounts and site integrity.
Organizations using affected versions of this plugin should implement immediate mitigations including disabling the problematic REST API endpoint, implementing additional authentication layers, or restricting API access through firewall rules. The recommended approach involves updating to the latest plugin version where the capability check has been properly implemented, as this represents the most effective long-term solution. Additionally, administrators should review existing access controls and implement network segmentation to limit exposure of the vulnerable API endpoint. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual API access patterns or configuration changes that might indicate exploitation attempts, while regular security audits should verify that all plugin components properly enforce authorization checks. This vulnerability serves as a reminder of the critical importance of implementing proper access controls in web applications, particularly in authentication-related components where insufficient authorization can lead to complete system compromise.