CVE-2024-37467 in Hestia Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 01/02/2025
Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in ThemeIsle Hestia allows Cross Site Request Forgery.This issue affects Hestia: from n/a through 3.1.2.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/16/2025
The Cross-Site Request Forgery vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-37467 resides within the ThemeIsle Hestia WordPress theme, specifically impacting versions ranging from an unspecified initial version through 3.1.2. This CSRF flaw represents a critical security weakness that enables attackers to perform unauthorized actions on behalf of authenticated users who visit malicious websites or click on compromised links. The vulnerability stems from the theme's insufficient validation of request origins and lack of proper anti-CSRF token implementation in its administrative functions, creating an exploitable gap in the theme's security architecture.
The technical nature of this vulnerability allows an attacker to craft malicious requests that leverage the authenticated session of a legitimate user who has administrative privileges within the WordPress environment. When a user visits a malicious website or clicks on a compromised link, the CSRF attack can execute unauthorized administrative actions such as modifying theme settings, updating content, or performing other privileged operations without the user's knowledge or consent. This occurs because the vulnerable theme fails to implement proper CSRF protection mechanisms such as unique, unpredictable tokens that would validate the authenticity of requests originating from legitimate administrative interfaces.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data modification, as it can potentially lead to complete compromise of the WordPress site when combined with other exploitation techniques. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to install malicious plugins, modify core theme files, or even establish persistent backdoors within the compromised system. The vulnerability affects the integrity and availability of the WordPress installation, as unauthorized modifications can disrupt normal site operations while simultaneously providing attackers with potential footholds for further exploitation. This represents a significant risk to website owners who rely on the Hestia theme for their site functionality and security.
Security professionals should immediately implement mitigations including updating to the latest version of the Hestia theme where the CSRF vulnerability has been patched, implementing additional security layers such as web application firewalls, and ensuring proper input validation across all administrative interfaces. Organizations should also conduct comprehensive security assessments of their WordPress installations to identify any other potential CSRF vulnerabilities within plugins or themes. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses, and falls under ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and T1566 for credential harvesting, emphasizing the need for robust session management and request validation mechanisms. Regular security monitoring and user education regarding suspicious website visits remain critical defensive measures against such attacks.