CVE-2024-43141 in Participants Database Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 08/13/2024
Deserialization of Untrusted Data vulnerability in Roland Barker, xnau webdesign Participants Database allows Object Injection.This issue affects Participants Database: from n/a through 2.5.9.2.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/13/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-43141 represents a critical deserialization flaw in the Participants Database plugin developed by Roland Barker and xnau webdesign. This issue falls under the category of deserialization of untrusted data, which is classified as CWE-502 in the Common Weakness Enumeration catalog. The vulnerability specifically impacts versions of the plugin ranging from the initial release through 2.5.9.2, creating a significant attack surface for malicious actors who can exploit this weakness to inject malicious objects into the application's execution environment.
The technical flaw stems from the plugin's failure to properly validate and sanitize data during the deserialization process. When the application processes user-supplied input through the Participants Database functionality, it does not adequately verify the integrity of the serialized data before attempting to reconstruct objects from that data. This allows attackers to craft malicious serialized payloads that, when processed by the vulnerable plugin, can lead to object injection attacks. The vulnerability essentially enables an attacker to manipulate the application's object instantiation process, potentially allowing arbitrary code execution or privilege escalation within the affected system.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data corruption or application disruption. Attackers who successfully exploit this deserialization flaw could gain unauthorized access to the WordPress installation, potentially leading to full system compromise. The vulnerability could be leveraged to execute arbitrary PHP code on the server, escalate privileges, or manipulate the participant database in ways that could affect data integrity and confidentiality. Given that the Participants Database plugin is commonly used for managing event registrations and participant information, the potential for data breaches and unauthorized access to sensitive personal information is substantial. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1210 - Exploitation of Remote Services, as it represents an attack vector that targets remote application services through object injection mechanisms.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate patching of the affected plugin to version 2.5.9.3 or later, which contains the necessary security fixes. Organizations should also implement network-level protections such as firewalls and intrusion detection systems to monitor for suspicious deserialization patterns. Additionally, implementing proper input validation and sanitization measures can help reduce the risk of exploitation even if other security controls fail. Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify similar issues in other plugins and themes, as deserialization vulnerabilities are common across many web applications and represent a persistent threat in the cybersecurity landscape.