CVE-2024-2970 in News Wall Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 03/29/2024
The News Wall plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Cross-Site Request Forgery in all versions up to, and including, 1.1.0. This is due to missing or incorrect nonce validation on the nwap_newslist_page() function. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to update the plugin's settings and modify news lists via a forged request granted they can trick a site administrator into performing an action such as clicking on a link.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/14/2026
The CVE-2024-2970 vulnerability affects the News Wall plugin for WordPress, representing a critical cross-site request forgery weakness that has persisted across all versions up to and including 1.1.0. This vulnerability resides within the nwap_newslist_page() function where proper nonce validation is either absent or improperly implemented, creating a significant security gap that can be exploited by unauthenticated attackers. The flaw fundamentally undermines the plugin's ability to authenticate legitimate administrative actions, as the missing security token validation allows malicious actors to manipulate the plugin's configuration settings without proper authorization.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the absence of proper cryptographic verification mechanisms within the WordPress plugin's administrative interface. When the nwap_newslist_page() function processes requests, it fails to validate the nonce parameter that should serve as a unique token ensuring that the request originates from a legitimate administrative user with proper permissions. This represents a direct violation of security best practices outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and follows the CWE-352 pattern for Cross-Site Request Forgery vulnerabilities. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires no authentication from the attacker, making it accessible to anyone who can craft malicious requests and potentially influence site administrators through social engineering tactics.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple configuration changes, as it provides attackers with the capability to modify news lists and potentially alter the content displayed on WordPress sites. Attackers could leverage this weakness to inject malicious news items, redirect users to phishing sites, or manipulate the plugin's behavior to serve as a vector for further attacks. The attack vector requires minimal sophistication as it relies on social engineering to trick administrators into clicking malicious links, making it particularly dangerous in environments where administrators frequently interact with external content or email communications. This vulnerability directly maps to the ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for Phishing and T1059.001 for Command and Scripting Interpreter, as it enables attackers to establish persistent access through manipulated news content.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address both immediate remediation and long-term security improvements. The primary solution involves updating to the latest version of the News Wall plugin where nonce validation has been properly implemented, though administrators should verify that the update resolves the specific validation issue. Additionally, site administrators should implement proper input validation and output encoding practices, establish network-level protections through web application firewalls, and conduct regular security audits of installed plugins. The vulnerability highlights the importance of following WordPress security guidelines for plugin development, particularly regarding the implementation of nonce validation for all administrative functions as recommended in the WordPress Plugin Handbook. Organizations should also consider implementing user awareness training to prevent successful social engineering attacks that could exploit this vulnerability, as the attack requires administrator interaction to be effective.