CVE-2024-3957 in Booster for WooCommerce Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 05/03/2024
The Booster for WooCommerce plugin is vulnerable to Unauthenticated Arbitrary Shortcode Execution in versions up to, and including, 7.1.8. This allows unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary shortcodes. The severity and exploitability depends on what other plugins are installed and what shortcode functionality they provide.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/04/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-3957 affects the Booster for WooCommerce plugin, a popular WordPress extension designed to enhance e-commerce functionality. This security flaw represents a critical weakness that undermines the integrity of WordPress sites relying on the plugin, as it permits unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary shortcodes without requiring any form of authentication or authorization. The vulnerability exists within plugin versions up to and including 7.1.8, indicating that users who have not updated to newer versions remain at significant risk.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and access control mechanisms within the Booster plugin's shortcode execution framework. When an attacker crafts a malicious request containing arbitrary shortcode parameters, the plugin fails to properly verify the authenticity of the requestor or validate the legitimacy of the shortcode being executed. This flaw creates a pathway for unauthorized code execution that can potentially be leveraged to perform actions such as data manipulation, information disclosure, or even complete system compromise depending on the available shortcode functionality. The vulnerability's severity is directly correlated to the capabilities of other plugins installed on the same WordPress instance, as the attack surface expands with each additional plugin that introduces its own shortcode functionality.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code execution, as it fundamentally compromises the security model of WordPress sites using the affected plugin. Attackers can exploit this weakness to inject malicious content into website pages, potentially leading to defacement, data theft, or the establishment of backdoors for persistent access. The unauthenticated nature of the exploit means that no credentials are required to initiate the attack, making it particularly dangerous for sites with high traffic or those handling sensitive customer information. Additionally, the vulnerability's dependence on other plugin shortcode functionality creates a cascading risk where the presence of multiple plugins with vulnerable shortcode handlers significantly amplifies the potential damage that can be achieved through a single exploitation attempt.
Security professionals should prioritize immediate remediation of this vulnerability by updating the Booster for WooCommerce plugin to version 7.1.9 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the arbitrary shortcode execution flaw. Organizations should also conduct comprehensive security assessments of their WordPress installations to identify any other potentially vulnerable plugins or themes that may present similar risks. The mitigation strategy should include implementing network-level protections such as web application firewalls and monitoring for suspicious shortcode execution patterns, while also establishing regular patch management procedures to ensure timely updates of all WordPress components. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-77 and CWE-89 categories related to command injection and SQL injection, and represents a significant concern under ATT&CK framework's T1059.008 technique for execution through command-line interface, though adapted for web-based shortcode manipulation.