CVE-2024-48042 in Contact Form Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 10/16/2024
Deserialization of Untrusted Data vulnerability in supsystic Contact Form by Supsystic contact-form-by-supsystic allows Command Injection.This issue affects Contact Form by Supsystic: from n/a through <= 1.7.28.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/05/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-48042 represents a critical deserialization flaw in the Contact Form by Supsystic plugin for WordPress, specifically impacting versions through 1.7.28. This issue falls under the category of deserialization of untrusted data as classified by CWE-502, where the application processes data from untrusted sources without proper validation or sanitization. The vulnerability occurs within the plugin's contact form functionality, creating a pathway for malicious actors to execute arbitrary commands on affected systems. The flaw stems from insufficient input validation during the deserialization process, allowing attackers to inject malicious payloads that can be executed when the serialized data is processed.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability enables command injection attacks through the manipulation of serialized data structures within the plugin's form handling mechanism. When the plugin processes form submissions or configuration data, it fails to properly validate or sanitize the serialized input before deserializing it, creating an opportunity for remote code execution. Attackers can craft malicious serialized objects that, when processed by the vulnerable plugin, trigger unintended system commands. This type of vulnerability is particularly dangerous as it can be exploited remotely without authentication, potentially allowing attackers to gain full control over the affected WordPress installation. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a command injection technique under T1059.001, where adversaries leverage vulnerabilities in application code to execute arbitrary commands on the target system.
The operational impact of CVE-2024-48042 extends beyond simple data compromise, as it can lead to complete system takeover and persistent access. Organizations running affected versions of the plugin face significant risks including data theft, service disruption, and potential lateral movement within their network infrastructure. The vulnerability affects not only the WordPress site itself but can also provide attackers with a foothold for further reconnaissance and exploitation of other systems. The widespread use of the Supsystic contact form plugin means that numerous websites may be vulnerable, creating a substantial attack surface for threat actors. This vulnerability can result in the installation of backdoors, data exfiltration, and modification of website content, making it a serious concern for web administrators and security teams.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2024-48042 should prioritize immediate patching of the affected plugin to version 1.7.29 or later, which contains the necessary security fixes. System administrators should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify all instances of the vulnerable plugin across their infrastructure and ensure proper patch management procedures are in place. Additional defensive measures include implementing web application firewalls to detect and block malicious serialized data attempts, restricting file permissions on the plugin directory, and monitoring system logs for suspicious command execution patterns. Security teams should also consider implementing network segmentation and access controls to limit the potential impact of successful exploitation. Regular security audits and vulnerability scanning should be conducted to identify similar issues in other plugins or themes that may present similar deserialization risks. The remediation process should include verification that the patch has been successfully applied and that no malicious modifications have been made to the affected systems.