CVE-2024-1978 in Friends Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 02/29/2024
The Friends plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Server-Side Request Forgery in all versions up to, and including, 2.8.5 via the discover_available_feeds function. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with administrator-level access and above, to make web requests to arbitrary locations originating from the web application and can be used to query and modify information from internal services.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/17/2025
The Friends plugin for WordPress presents a critical Server-Side Request Forgery vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-1978 affecting all versions through 2.8.5. This vulnerability resides within the discover_available_feeds function which processes external feed URLs without proper validation or sanitization. The flaw enables authenticated attackers with administrator-level privileges to manipulate the plugin's functionality to initiate arbitrary web requests from the vulnerable WordPress application. The security implications extend beyond simple data exfiltration as the vulnerability can be leveraged to interact with internal network services that the web server can access, potentially exposing sensitive internal systems and data.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the improper handling of user-supplied input within the feed discovery mechanism. When administrators or users with sufficient privileges interact with the plugin's feed discovery feature, the application fails to validate or restrict the URLs being processed. This allows malicious actors to specify arbitrary endpoints that the web server will attempt to access on their behalf, creating a pathway for attackers to probe internal networks, access restricted services, or even perform data manipulation on internal systems. The vulnerability specifically maps to CWE-918, which describes Server-Side Request Forgery vulnerabilities where applications make unintended requests to internal resources due to inadequate input validation.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability represents a significant risk to WordPress installations running the Friends plugin. Attackers with administrator access can utilize this flaw to perform reconnaissance activities against internal services, potentially identifying additional vulnerabilities within the network infrastructure. The attack surface expands when considering that WordPress servers often have access to internal databases, application servers, or other sensitive systems that may not be properly isolated from the web-facing environment. This vulnerability can be exploited to bypass network segmentation controls and gain unauthorized access to resources that should normally be restricted to internal network access only.
The mitigation strategies for CVE-2024-1978 should prioritize immediate plugin updates to versions that address the identified SSRF vulnerability. Organizations should implement network-level restrictions to prevent outbound connections from WordPress servers to internal services, particularly those that are not required for the plugin's legitimate functionality. Additionally, implementing proper input validation and URL sanitization within the plugin's feed discovery mechanism would prevent malicious URL schemes from being processed. Security controls should include monitoring for unusual outbound network requests originating from WordPress servers and implementing web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious patterns in feed discovery requests. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1071.004 for application layer protocol: DNS and T1046 for network service scanning, making it particularly dangerous when combined with other reconnaissance activities. Organizations should also consider implementing principle of least privilege access controls for WordPress administrators and regularly audit plugin installations to ensure that only necessary plugins are active on production systems.