CVE-2024-31264 in Post Views Counter Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 04/12/2024
Unauthenticated Cross Site Request Forgery (CSRF) in Post Views Counter <= 1.4.4 versions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/06/2025
Cross site request forgery vulnerabilities represent a critical class of web application security flaws that allow attackers to execute unauthorized actions on behalf of authenticated users. The specific vulnerability in Post Views Counter plugin affects versions up to and including 144, where the absence of proper authentication checks creates an exploitable condition that can be leveraged by malicious actors. This flaw resides within the plugin's handling of requests that modify or retrieve data without verifying the authenticity of the requester, creating a pathway for unauthorized modifications to WordPress site configurations.
The technical implementation of this csrf vulnerability stems from the plugin's failure to implement proper request validation mechanisms that would verify the origin and authorization status of incoming requests. When users access certain administrative functions within the plugin, the system does not adequately verify that the request originates from an authenticated administrator or includes appropriate security tokens that would prevent malicious third parties from crafting forged requests. This absence of authentication verification creates a condition where an attacker can construct malicious web pages or emails containing embedded requests that, when triggered by unsuspecting administrators, execute unintended operations within the plugin's scope.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data modification to potentially compromise entire WordPress installations through unauthorized administrative actions. Attackers could exploit this weakness to alter post view counts, modify plugin settings, or potentially access sensitive configuration data that might reveal additional attack vectors. The unauthenticated nature of this flaw means that even casual visitors to compromised sites could trigger malicious actions without requiring any prior login credentials or privileged access. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in web applications.
The exploitation potential of this csrf vulnerability can be significantly amplified when combined with other security issues within the WordPress ecosystem. Attackers might leverage this flaw as a stepping stone to escalate privileges or establish persistent access through more sophisticated attack vectors. The vulnerability affects all users who have the affected plugin installed, regardless of their role level, making it particularly dangerous in multi-user environments where administrators might inadvertently trigger malicious requests through social engineering tactics. This weakness aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566 which covers phishing and other social engineering methods used to deliver malicious payloads.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate plugin updates to versions that implement proper csrf protection mechanisms, including the addition of anti-forgery tokens and request origin verification. System administrators must ensure that all WordPress plugins undergo regular security assessments and that automatic update features are enabled where possible. Organizations should implement network-level protections such as web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious request patterns associated with csrf attacks. The recommended remediation includes verifying that all administrative functions require proper authentication tokens that are unique to each session, preventing attackers from crafting reusable malicious requests that could target multiple administrators over time.