CVE-2024-31235 in Comments Import & Export Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 04/12/2024
Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in WebToffee WordPress Comments Import & Export.This issue affects WordPress Comments Import & Export: from n/a through 2.3.5.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/06/2025
The CVE-2024-31235 vulnerability represents a critical Cross-Site Request Forgery flaw within the WebToffee WordPress Comments Import & Export plugin, a widely used tool for managing comment data in WordPress environments. This vulnerability exists in versions prior to 2.3.5 and poses significant risks to WordPress site administrators who rely on this plugin for comment management operations. The issue stems from insufficient validation of HTTP requests, allowing malicious actors to exploit the lack of proper anti-CSRF token implementation. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in web applications. Attackers can leverage this flaw to perform unauthorized actions on behalf of authenticated users, potentially compromising the integrity and confidentiality of comment data within WordPress installations.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability occurs when the plugin fails to validate the origin of HTTP requests sent to its comment import and export functionalities. When a user is authenticated and visits a malicious website or is tricked into clicking a crafted link, the attacker can construct a request that appears legitimate to the WordPress installation. This occurs because the plugin does not properly verify the referer header or implement anti-CSRF tokens in its forms and API endpoints. The vulnerability specifically impacts the comment import and export operations, which are common administrative functions that require elevated privileges. The flaw allows attackers to manipulate comment data, potentially leading to data corruption, unauthorized comment creation, or even complete comment database manipulation. This type of vulnerability falls under the ATT&CK technique T1566.002, which involves social engineering through spearphishing attachments, where the attack vector could be embedded in malicious web content.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data manipulation, as it can severely compromise the security posture of WordPress installations that utilize the affected plugin. Administrators may unknowingly allow attackers to perform actions such as importing malicious comment data, exporting sensitive comment information, or modifying existing comment structures. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous in environments where multiple administrators have access to the comment management features, as it could enable privilege escalation or data exfiltration. The lack of proper CSRF protection in this plugin means that even users with limited permissions could potentially exploit this weakness to gain unauthorized access to comment data. Organizations using this plugin without updating to version 2.3.5 or higher are at risk of having their comment databases compromised, which could lead to reputational damage, compliance violations, and potential regulatory penalties. The vulnerability represents a significant gap in the plugin's security architecture and highlights the importance of implementing proper request validation mechanisms. This type of vulnerability commonly affects web applications that do not follow secure coding practices and fail to implement proper session management and request origin verification. The impact is particularly severe in WordPress environments where comment data often contains sensitive user information, making this vulnerability a prime target for attackers seeking to exploit weak security controls in popular plugins.