CVE-2024-3585 in Send PDF for Contact Form 7 Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 05/02/2024
The Send PDF for Contact Form 7 plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized access of form submissions due to a missing capability check on the hooks function in all versions up to, and including, 1.0.2.3. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to download information about contact form entries with PDFs.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/28/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-3585 affects the Send PDF for Contact Form 7 plugin, a popular WordPress extension that generates and delivers PDF copies of contact form submissions. This plugin operates within the WordPress ecosystem and serves as a bridge between contact form data collection and PDF document generation for administrative review. The flaw exists in the plugin's hooks function implementation where critical access control mechanisms have been omitted, creating a significant security gap that undermines the integrity of form submission data. The vulnerability specifically targets the plugin's ability to manage access to generated PDF files containing sensitive contact form information, exposing this functionality to unauthorized parties who should not have access to such data.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from a missing capability check within the plugin's codebase, which is classified as a CWE-284 Access Control flaw under the Common Weakness Enumeration framework. This weakness occurs when an application fails to properly verify that an authenticated user has sufficient privileges to access a particular resource or perform a specific operation. In this case, the hooks function that handles PDF generation and delivery does not validate whether the requesting user possesses the necessary permissions to access the form submissions. The absence of proper authentication checks means that any unauthenticated attacker can exploit this vulnerability by directly accessing the plugin's PDF download endpoints without requiring valid credentials or administrative privileges.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure, as it creates a pathway for attackers to systematically harvest sensitive information from contact form submissions. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to download PDF files containing personal data, business inquiries, support requests, and potentially confidential information submitted through WordPress contact forms. The implications are particularly severe for organizations that rely on contact forms for customer service, lead generation, or business communications where form submissions may contain personally identifiable information or proprietary business data. This vulnerability essentially transforms a legitimate administrative feature into a data exfiltration vector, allowing malicious actors to bypass normal access controls and obtain information that should remain restricted to authorized personnel.
The attack surface for this vulnerability is particularly concerning as it affects all versions of the plugin up to and including 1.0.2.3, indicating that a significant number of installations may be exposed to this risk. This vulnerability aligns with the ATT&CK technique T1213 Data from Information Repositories, as it enables adversaries to access stored data through compromised applications. The attack pattern follows the typical methodology of privilege escalation through access control bypass, where an attacker exploits missing validation checks to gain unauthorized access to restricted resources. Organizations running vulnerable versions of this plugin should immediately consider the potential for data breaches, as attackers can systematically download multiple PDF files containing various contact form submissions without detection. The vulnerability represents a critical failure in the principle of least privilege, where the plugin fails to properly enforce access controls that should be fundamental to any data handling system.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate patching of the plugin to the latest version where the capability check has been properly implemented. System administrators should also implement additional monitoring of plugin access patterns and consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block suspicious requests to PDF download endpoints. Organizations should conduct comprehensive audits of their WordPress installations to identify all vulnerable plugin versions and ensure proper access controls are in place for all administrative functions. The remediation process should also include reviewing and strengthening overall WordPress security practices, including regular plugin updates, proper user access management, and implementation of security headers to prevent unauthorized access to administrative interfaces.