CVE-2024-32089 in Digital Publications Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 04/15/2024
Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in Supsystic Digital Publications by Supsystic.This issue affects Digital Publications by Supsystic: from n/a through 1.7.7.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/06/2025
The Cross-Site Request Forgery vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-32089 resides within the Supsystic Digital Publications plugin, a WordPress-based publishing solution that enables users to create and manage digital publications. This vulnerability represents a critical security flaw that allows attackers to perform unauthorized actions on behalf of authenticated users within the affected system. The issue specifically impacts versions of the plugin ranging from the initial release through version 1.7.7, making a substantial portion of installations potentially vulnerable to exploitation. The vulnerability stems from the plugin's failure to implement proper anti-CSRF protection mechanisms in its administrative interfaces, creating a pathway for malicious actors to manipulate user sessions and execute unauthorized operations.
The technical flaw manifests in the plugin's handling of administrative requests where it does not validate the origin of incoming requests or enforce proper token-based authentication mechanisms. This absence of CSRF protection means that an attacker can craft malicious web pages or emails that, when visited or clicked by an authenticated user, automatically submit requests to the vulnerable plugin's administrative endpoints. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery issues in software applications. Attackers can exploit this weakness to perform actions such as modifying publication settings, creating new user accounts, deleting content, or altering system configurations without the legitimate user's knowledge or consent. The attack vector typically involves social engineering techniques where victims are tricked into visiting malicious websites or clicking on compromised links that trigger unauthorized administrative actions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data manipulation, as it can lead to complete system compromise and unauthorized access to sensitive user information. An attacker who successfully exploits this CSRF vulnerability can gain administrative privileges within the WordPress environment, potentially leading to full site compromise, data exfiltration, or the installation of malicious code. The implications are particularly severe for organizations that rely on the Digital Publications plugin for managing sensitive content or customer data. This vulnerability affects the integrity and confidentiality of the system by allowing unauthorized modifications to the plugin's functionality and potentially the entire WordPress installation. The attack can occur silently in the background without user awareness, making detection and remediation challenging. According to ATT&CK framework, this vulnerability maps to T1566.002 (Phishing: Spearphishing Attachment) and T1071.001 (Application Layer Protocol: Web Protocols) as attackers leverage web-based delivery methods to exploit the CSRF weakness.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2024-32089 should prioritize immediate plugin updates to version 1.7.8 or later, which contains the necessary security patches to address the CSRF vulnerability. Administrators should also implement additional protective measures such as enforcing strict content security policies, monitoring administrative user activities for suspicious behavior, and conducting regular security audits of installed plugins. Network-level protections including web application firewalls can help detect and block malicious requests attempting to exploit this vulnerability. Organizations should also consider implementing multi-factor authentication for administrative accounts and regularly reviewing user permissions to minimize potential damage from successful exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date software components and following secure coding practices that include proper CSRF token implementation and request origin validation. Security teams should monitor for any indicators of compromise related to this vulnerability and ensure that all WordPress installations undergo regular security assessments to identify and remediate similar weaknesses in the broader application ecosystem.