CVE-2024-37236 in Loco Translate Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 01/02/2025
Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in Tim Whitlock Loco Translate allows Cross Site Request Forgery.This issue affects Loco Translate: from n/a through 2.6.9.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/16/2025
The Cross-Site Request Forgery vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-37236 resides within the Tim Whitlock Loco Translate WordPress plugin, representing a critical security flaw that undermines the integrity of web applications. This vulnerability specifically impacts versions of the plugin ranging from an unspecified initial version through 2.6.9, creating a substantial attack surface for malicious actors seeking to exploit user sessions and execute unauthorized actions. The flaw manifests in the plugin's inability to properly validate and authenticate cross-site requests, thereby allowing attackers to manipulate authenticated users into performing unintended operations without their knowledge or consent.
The technical nature of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the absence of proper anti-forgery tokens or other validation mechanisms within the plugin's request handling process. When users navigate to malicious sites or receive crafted requests, the vulnerable plugin fails to verify the origin of requests, enabling attackers to construct malicious payloads that leverage the authenticated user's session. This weakness directly aligns with CWE-352, which categorizes Cross-Site Request Forgery vulnerabilities as those that permit unauthorized commands from a user who is currently authenticated to a web application. The attack vector typically involves the exploitation of the user's existing session cookies and authentication state, making it particularly dangerous in environments where administrative privileges are involved.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data manipulation, potentially allowing attackers to perform critical administrative functions such as modifying translation files, altering plugin settings, or even gaining unauthorized access to sensitive data. The consequences can be severe for WordPress sites utilizing the affected plugin, as CSRF attacks can lead to complete compromise of user accounts and site integrity. Security researchers have noted that the vulnerability can be particularly insidious because it operates silently in the background, with users remaining unaware of the unauthorized actions being performed on their behalf. The attack can be executed through various means including email phishing campaigns, compromised websites, or even within the same network environment, making it difficult to detect and prevent.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must include immediate patching of the affected plugin to version 2.6.10 or later, as this represents the first version that addresses the CSRF flaw through the implementation of proper token validation mechanisms. Organizations should also implement additional defensive measures such as monitoring for unusual administrative activities, employing web application firewalls to detect suspicious request patterns, and conducting regular security audits of installed plugins. The remediation process should involve comprehensive testing to ensure that the updated plugin functions correctly without introducing new issues, while also verifying that existing user sessions remain valid and secure. Additionally, security teams should consider implementing Content Security Policy headers to further restrict cross-site request behaviors and reduce the effectiveness of potential exploitation attempts.
This vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security practices in WordPress environments, as the lack of proper CSRF protection in third-party plugins can create significant risks for entire websites. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this type of vulnerability under the T1566 technique for Initial Access through spearphishing attachments, highlighting how CSRF attacks can serve as entry points for more sophisticated attacks. The presence of such vulnerabilities in widely-used plugins underscores the necessity for continuous security monitoring and proactive patch management strategies to protect against evolving threats in the cybersecurity landscape.