CVE-2024-2017 in Countdown, Coming Soon, Maintenance Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 06/06/2024
The Countdown, Coming Soon, Maintenance – Countdown & Clock plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized access due to a missing capability check on the conditionsRow and switchCountdown functions in all versions up to, and including, 2.7.8. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with subscriber-level access and above, to inject PHP Objects and modify the status of countdowns.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/07/2024
The vulnerability identified in CVE-2024-2017 affects the Countdown plugin for WordPress, which is designed to display countdown timers and maintenance pages on websites. This plugin is widely used for creating coming soon pages, maintenance mode displays, and countdown timers for various events. The affected version range includes all versions up to and including 2.7.8, making it a significant concern for WordPress administrators who have not yet updated their installations. The vulnerability stems from inadequate access control mechanisms within the plugin's core functionality.
The technical flaw manifests in two specific functions within the plugin's codebase: conditionsRow and switchCountdown. These functions lack proper capability checks that should verify user permissions before executing sensitive operations. As a result, authenticated attackers who possess subscriber-level access or higher can exploit this weakness to manipulate the plugin's behavior. The vulnerability allows for PHP object injection attacks, which can potentially lead to arbitrary code execution depending on the server configuration and the attacker's privileges. This type of vulnerability is classified under CWE-284, which deals with improper access control mechanisms, and represents a clear violation of the principle of least privilege in software security design.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is particularly concerning because it enables attackers to modify countdown statuses and potentially inject malicious PHP objects into the system. While the attacker requires at least subscriber-level access, this is often achievable through various attack vectors such as compromised user accounts or social engineering techniques. The ability to manipulate countdown functionality could be used to disrupt website operations, hide malicious activities, or create confusion among website visitors. Furthermore, the PHP object injection capability represents a potential path to more severe exploits, as object injection vulnerabilities can often be leveraged to achieve remote code execution or privilege escalation within the WordPress environment. This vulnerability directly relates to ATT&CK technique T1078.004, which covers valid accounts, as attackers can exploit legitimate user access to perform unauthorized actions.
The security implications extend beyond simple functionality manipulation, as this vulnerability could be combined with other weaknesses to create more sophisticated attack scenarios. WordPress administrators should immediately update to the latest version of the plugin to remediate this vulnerability, as the plugin developers have likely released patches addressing the missing capability checks. The recommended mitigation strategy includes not only updating the plugin but also implementing proper access control measures and monitoring for unusual activities in the plugin's administrative functions. Additionally, administrators should consider implementing web application firewalls and security monitoring solutions to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the critical importance of proper input validation and capability checks in WordPress plugin development, particularly for functions that handle user data manipulation or status changes. Organizations should also review their user access policies to ensure that only authorized personnel have access to administrative functions, thereby reducing the attack surface for such vulnerabilities.