CVE-2024-1778 in Admin Side Data Storage for Contact Form 7 Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 02/23/2024
The Admin side data storage for Contact Form 7 plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized modification of data due to a missing capability check on the zt_dcfcf_change_bookmark() function in all versions up to, and including, 1.1.1. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to alter bookmark statuses.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/12/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-1778 affects the Contact Form 7 plugin for WordPress, specifically targeting the administrative data storage mechanisms within the plugin's backend functionality. This issue stems from a critical missing capability check within the zt_dcfcf_change_bookmark() function, which is responsible for managing bookmark statuses in the plugin's administrative interface. The flaw exists across all versions of the plugin up to and including version 1.1.1, making it a widespread concern for WordPress administrators who have installed this particular plugin.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves a failure in the plugin's access control mechanisms, where the zt_dcfcf_change_bookmark() function does not properly verify whether the requesting user possesses the necessary administrative privileges before allowing modification of bookmark statuses. This represents a classic authorization bypass vulnerability that falls under the CWE-863 category of "Incorrect Authorization" and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078.101 for Valid Accounts and T1546.008 for Accessibility Features. The absence of proper capability checks means that any attacker who can access the plugin's administrative endpoints can manipulate bookmark data without authentication, effectively undermining the security model of the WordPress administrative interface.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates a significant risk for WordPress sites using the Contact Form 7 plugin, as unauthorized modification of bookmark statuses can lead to various security implications including data integrity compromise, potential information disclosure, and disruption of administrative workflows. Attackers could manipulate bookmark data to hide or reveal sensitive information, alter the status of form submissions, or potentially use the modified bookmark data as a vector for further attacks. The unauthenticated nature of this vulnerability means that attackers do not need to possess valid credentials to exploit the flaw, making it particularly dangerous for sites that do not implement additional security measures such as rate limiting or IP restrictions. This vulnerability directly impacts the principle of least privilege and can enable attackers to escalate their privileges within the plugin's administrative context.
The recommended mitigation strategy involves immediate updating of the Contact Form 7 plugin to the latest available version that contains the patched capability check for the zt_dcfcf_change_bookmark() function. Administrators should also implement additional security measures such as monitoring administrative endpoints for unauthorized access attempts, implementing strong authentication mechanisms, and ensuring that only authorized personnel have access to the plugin's administrative interface. Organizations should conduct thorough security assessments of their WordPress installations to identify any other plugins that may be vulnerable to similar authorization bypass issues. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper capability checks in web applications and serves as a reminder that even seemingly minor administrative functions can represent significant security risks when proper access controls are not implemented. Security teams should also consider implementing web application firewalls and intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts targeting this specific vulnerability pattern.