CVE-2024-37435 in Perfect Portfolio Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 01/02/2025
Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in Rara Theme Perfect Portfolio allows Cross Site Request Forgery.This issue affects Perfect Portfolio: from n/a through 1.2.0.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/08/2026
The CVE-2024-37435 vulnerability represents a critical Cross-Site Request Forgery flaw within the Rara Theme Perfect Portfolio plugin, specifically impacting versions ranging from an unspecified initial version through 1.2.0. This vulnerability resides within the WordPress ecosystem and exploits the fundamental trust relationship between web applications and user browsers. The flaw allows malicious actors to trick authenticated users into executing unintended actions on the target website without their knowledge or consent. The vulnerability specifically affects the portfolio management functionality of the theme, where users with appropriate privileges can be coerced into performing administrative operations through crafted requests. The issue stems from the absence of proper anti-CSRF token validation mechanisms within the plugin's request handling processes.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a classic CSRF attack vector where the malicious actor crafts a request that leverages the authenticated session of a legitimate user. When a victim visits a malicious website or clicks on a compromised link, their browser automatically includes any relevant cookies and authentication tokens in the request. The Perfect Portfolio plugin fails to validate the presence of a genuine, anti-CSRF token that would normally be required for any state-changing operations. This oversight allows attackers to construct requests that appear legitimate to the server because they include the user's authentication credentials but lack the necessary token verification. The vulnerability manifests when users with administrative or contributor privileges interact with portfolio-related functions such as adding, editing, or deleting portfolio items. This flaw directly maps to CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery vulnerabilities in software systems where proper token validation mechanisms are missing or improperly implemented.
The operational impact of CVE-2024-37435 extends beyond simple data manipulation to potentially compromise entire website administrations. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability to add malicious portfolio items, modify existing content, or even delete critical portfolio entries that could damage the website's reputation. More concerning is the potential for privilege escalation where attackers might gain access to user accounts or perform operations that could lead to complete website compromise. The vulnerability affects not just individual portfolio entries but could potentially enable attackers to manipulate other aspects of the WordPress site that interact with the portfolio plugin. From an attacker's perspective, this vulnerability operates under the MITRE ATT&CK framework category of T1566, specifically targeting credential access through social engineering and web-based attacks. The exploitation requires minimal technical expertise and can be automated through various attack vectors including phishing campaigns or compromised websites.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must address both immediate remediation and long-term security enhancements. The most effective immediate solution involves updating the Perfect Portfolio plugin to version 1.2.1 or later, which contains the necessary anti-CSRF token implementation. Administrators should also implement additional security measures such as enabling WordPress's built-in nonce verification for all admin actions and configuring proper Content Security Policy headers to prevent unauthorized script execution. Network-level protections including web application firewalls can help detect and block suspicious request patterns that might indicate CSRF attack attempts. Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify similar issues across other installed plugins and themes. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of proper input validation and token management practices as outlined in OWASP Top Ten security principles. Organizations should implement comprehensive security training for administrators to recognize potential social engineering attacks that might exploit this vulnerability. Additionally, monitoring for unusual administrative activities and implementing multi-factor authentication can provide defense-in-depth against potential exploitation attempts. The remediation process should include thorough testing of the updated plugin to ensure that legitimate functionality remains intact while the CSRF protection mechanisms are properly enforced.