CVE-2024-37238 in WPAdverts Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 01/02/2025
Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in Greg Winiarski WPAdverts – Classifieds Plugin allows Cross Site Request Forgery.This issue affects WPAdverts – Classifieds Plugin: from n/a through 2.1.2.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/16/2025
The CVE-2024-37238 vulnerability represents a critical Cross-Site Request Forgery flaw within the WPAdverts – Classifieds Plugin for WordPress, specifically impacting versions ranging from the initial release through 2.1.2. This vulnerability resides in the plugin's handling of user requests and authentication mechanisms, creating a significant security risk for WordPress installations that utilize this classifieds solution. The flaw allows malicious actors to exploit the absence of proper CSRF protection measures, potentially enabling unauthorized actions on behalf of authenticated users.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the plugin's failure to implement robust anti-CSRF tokens or validation mechanisms for critical administrative functions. When users navigate to malicious websites or receive crafted payloads through phishing attempts, the vulnerability permits attackers to execute unauthorized operations within the context of an authenticated user session. This includes potential modifications to classified listings, user permissions, or other administrative functions that the plugin facilitates. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery issues in web applications, and represents a fundamental breakdown in the plugin's security architecture.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data manipulation, as it can lead to complete compromise of classifieds functionality and potentially broader system access. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability to delete listings, modify pricing information, manipulate user accounts, or even gain elevated privileges within the WordPress environment. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that classifieds plugins often handle sensitive user data and financial transactions, making this vulnerability attractive to threat actors seeking to exploit online advertising platforms. This vulnerability maps to several ATT&CK techniques including T1566 for initial access through phishing and T1078 for valid accounts usage, potentially enabling lateral movement within compromised environments.
Organizations using the affected WPAdverts plugin should immediately implement mitigations including updating to the latest available version that addresses this vulnerability, implementing additional security layers such as Web Application Firewalls, and conducting comprehensive security audits of their WordPress installations. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and authentication mechanisms in web applications, particularly those handling user-generated content and administrative functions. Security teams should also consider implementing Content Security Policies and monitoring for unusual administrative activities that could indicate exploitation attempts. Regular vulnerability scanning and patch management procedures should be enhanced to prevent similar issues in other plugins and components of the WordPress ecosystem.