CVE-2024-9352 in Forminator Forms Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 10/17/2024
The Forminator Forms – Contact Form, Payment Form & Custom Form Builder plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Cross-Site Request Forgery in all versions up to, and including, 1.35.1. This is due to missing or incorrect nonce validation on the custom form 'create_module' function. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to create draft forms via a forged request granted they can trick a site administrator into performing an action such as clicking on a link.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/04/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-9352 affects the Forminator Forms plugin for WordPress, specifically targeting versions up to and including 1.35.1. This represents a critical security flaw that undermines the integrity of the plugin's form creation functionality and exposes WordPress sites to unauthorized administrative actions. The issue stems from inadequate security controls within the plugin's custom form module creation process, creating a pathway for malicious actors to exploit the system's trust model.
The technical flaw manifests in the absence of proper nonce validation within the 'create_module' function of the custom form builder component. Nonces serve as critical cryptographic tokens that verify the authenticity of requests and prevent unauthorized actions from being executed on behalf of legitimate users. When this validation mechanism fails, attackers can craft malicious requests that appear to originate from legitimate administrative sessions. This vulnerability operates under the principle of cross-site request forgery where an attacker crafts a request that, when executed by an authenticated administrator, creates unauthorized draft forms within the WordPress environment. The flaw specifically targets the plugin's form creation endpoint, allowing attackers to bypass normal access controls that should require proper authentication and authorization.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized form creation, as it enables attackers to potentially inject malicious content into the target WordPress installation. Since draft forms can be created without authentication, attackers can potentially establish persistent attack vectors within the site's infrastructure. These draft forms may contain malicious code or redirect links that could compromise the site's integrity and user data. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it requires minimal user interaction from the administrator beyond performing routine browsing activities, making it difficult to detect and prevent. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery weaknesses in web applications, and represents a significant deviation from proper security implementation standards.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2024-9352 should prioritize immediate plugin updates to versions that include proper nonce validation mechanisms. Administrators must ensure that all WordPress installations running the Forminator plugin are updated to the latest secure versions. Additionally, implementing network-level monitoring can help detect unusual form creation patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. Security measures should include regular vulnerability scanning of WordPress installations to identify outdated plugins and themes that may contain similar security flaws. The remediation approach should also consider implementing web application firewalls that can detect and block CSRF attack patterns, while maintaining proper access controls and user session management. Organizations should conduct comprehensive security audits to identify other potential CSRF vulnerabilities within their WordPress environments, as this represents a common class of security weakness that affects numerous web applications and plugins across the ecosystem.