CVE-2024-8353 in GiveWP Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 09/28/2024
The GiveWP – Donation Plugin and Fundraising Platform plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to PHP Object Injection in all versions up to, and including, 3.16.1 via deserialization of untrusted input via several parameters like 'give_title' and 'card_address'. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to inject a PHP Object. The additional presence of a POP chain allows attackers to delete arbitrary files and achieve remote code execution. This is essentially the same vulnerability as CVE-2024-5932, however, it was discovered the the presence of stripslashes_deep on user_info allows the is_serialized check to be bypassed. This issue was mostly patched in 3.16.1, but further hardening was added in 3.16.2.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/01/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-8353 affects the GiveWP donation plugin for WordPress, a widely used fundraising platform that has been compromised through a PHP Object Injection flaw present in versions up to and including 3.16.1. This vulnerability represents a critical security risk that stems from improper input validation and sanitization mechanisms within the plugin's codebase, specifically during the deserialization of user-supplied data. The flaw manifests when the plugin processes parameters such as 'give_title' and 'card_address' without adequate security measures to prevent malicious object injection attempts. The vulnerability operates at the core level of PHP application security, where untrusted data is directly passed through unserialize() functions without proper validation, creating an attack surface that can be exploited by malicious actors without authentication requirements.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability follows a classic PHP Object Injection pattern where attackers can manipulate serialized data structures to inject malicious objects into the application's memory space. The exploitation process leverages a POP (Property Object Pollution) chain that enables attackers to perform arbitrary file deletion operations and ultimately achieve remote code execution capabilities. This type of vulnerability is categorized under CWE-502 in the Common Weakness Enumeration system, which specifically addresses the deserialization of untrusted data as a source of security flaws. The attack vector becomes particularly dangerous when combined with the presence of stripslashes_deep function applied to user_info data, which inadvertently bypasses the is_serialized validation checks that would normally prevent such attacks from succeeding. This bypass mechanism represents a sophisticated exploitation technique that demonstrates the complexity of modern web application security vulnerabilities.
The operational impact of CVE-2024-8353 extends far beyond simple data compromise, as successful exploitation can result in complete system takeover by malicious actors. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to delete arbitrary files from the affected WordPress installation, potentially removing critical application components or sensitive data files. The remote code execution capability allows for full control over the compromised server, enabling attackers to install backdoors, exfiltrate data, or use the compromised system as a launch point for further attacks within the network. This vulnerability affects not only individual websites but also poses significant risks to organizations relying on WordPress for their fundraising operations, particularly those handling sensitive donor information and financial transactions. The vulnerability's presence in versions up to 3.16.1 means that a substantial number of installations were potentially exposed to exploitation, creating widespread security concerns across the WordPress ecosystem.
The remediation efforts for CVE-2024-8353 were implemented through version 3.16.2, which included additional hardening measures to prevent the bypass of serialization checks. Security patches typically address such vulnerabilities by implementing proper input validation, sanitization, and output encoding mechanisms to prevent malicious data from being processed through unserialize() functions. Organizations should immediately update to version 3.16.2 or later to mitigate this vulnerability, while also conducting thorough security audits of their WordPress installations to identify any potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's similarity to CVE-2024-5932 indicates a pattern of security flaws within the GiveWP plugin ecosystem, emphasizing the need for comprehensive security reviews and adherence to secure coding practices. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to techniques involving deserialization of untrusted data and privilege escalation through remote code execution, representing a significant threat to web application security and requiring immediate attention from security teams.