CVE-2024-3965 in Pray for Me Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 06/14/2024
The Pray For Me WordPress plugin through 1.0.4 does not have CSRF check in place when updating its settings, which could allow attackers to make a logged in admin change them via a CSRF attack
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/23/2025
The CVE-2024-3965 vulnerability affects the Pray For Me WordPress plugin version 1.0.4 and earlier, representing a critical security flaw that undermines the integrity of administrative functions within WordPress environments. This vulnerability stems from the absence of Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) protection mechanisms in the plugin's settings update functionality, creating a significant attack surface for malicious actors who can exploit this weakness to manipulate administrative configurations without proper authorization.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability resides in the plugin's failure to validate the origin of administrative requests when processing settings updates. WordPress plugins typically implement nonce-based CSRF protection by generating unique tokens that verify the authenticity of requests originating from legitimate administrative interfaces. In the case of Pray For Me plugin, this validation mechanism is completely absent, allowing attackers to craft malicious requests that appear to originate from authenticated administrators. The flaw specifically impacts the plugin's administrative settings page where users can modify configuration parameters that control the plugin's behavior and functionality.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses severe risks to WordPress installations that utilize the affected plugin. An attacker who successfully executes a CSRF attack could modify critical plugin settings, potentially enabling malicious functionality such as redirecting users to phishing sites, injecting malicious code into web pages, or disabling security features. The impact extends beyond simple configuration changes, as these modifications could compromise the entire WordPress installation's security posture and potentially provide attackers with persistent access to the affected systems. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it requires no authentication from the attacker beyond having an administrator user visit a malicious webpage, making it a prime target for social engineering attacks.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in software applications. This categorization emphasizes the fundamental flaw in the plugin's design where it fails to implement proper request validation mechanisms that would prevent unauthorized administrative actions. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving privilege escalation and persistence within the target environment, as successful exploitation could allow attackers to establish long-term control over the WordPress installation. Organizations using this plugin should immediately implement mitigations including updating to the latest plugin version, implementing additional security layers such as web application firewalls, and conducting thorough security audits of their WordPress installations to identify other potential CSRF vulnerabilities.
Mitigation strategies should include immediate plugin updates from the vendor to address the CSRF protection gap, implementation of CSRF token validation mechanisms, and comprehensive monitoring of administrative activities for suspicious configuration changes. Security administrators should also consider deploying additional defensive measures such as Content Security Policy headers, regular security scanning of WordPress installations, and privileged access management controls to limit the impact of potential exploitation. The vulnerability underscores the importance of proper security testing during plugin development and the critical need for implementing robust CSRF protection mechanisms in all administrative interfaces of web applications.