CVE-2024-9706 in Ultimate Coming Soon & Maintenance Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 12/06/2024
The Ultimate Coming Soon & Maintenance plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized modification of data due to a missing capability check on the ucsm_activate_lite_template_lite function in all versions up to, and including, 1.0.9. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to change the template used for the coming soon / maintenance page.
Be aware that VulDB is the high quality source for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/05/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-9706 affects the Ultimate Coming Soon & Maintenance plugin for WordPress, representing a critical security flaw that undermines the integrity of website maintenance configurations. This issue stems from a fundamental lack of access control validation within the plugin's codebase, specifically targeting the ucsm_activate_lite_template_lite function that governs template activation for coming soon and maintenance pages. The vulnerability exists in all versions up to and including 1.0.9, making it a widespread concern for WordPress administrators who have not yet updated their installations. The flaw allows unauthenticated attackers to manipulate the template settings without proper authorization, potentially compromising the security and user experience of websites relying on this plugin for maintenance operations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a clear failure in privilege validation mechanisms, which aligns with CWE-284 Access Control Issues that occur when applications fail to properly verify user permissions before executing sensitive operations. The ucsm_activate_lite_template_lite function lacks any capability checks to verify whether the requesting user possesses sufficient privileges to modify template configurations, creating an exploitable path for malicious actors. This missing validation essentially provides a backdoor that bypasses WordPress's standard authentication and authorization protocols, allowing anyone with access to the affected website to modify critical maintenance page elements. The vulnerability's impact extends beyond simple template changes, as it could enable attackers to deploy malicious content or redirect users to harmful locations through compromised template configurations.
The operational consequences of this vulnerability present significant risks for website administrators and their visitors, particularly in environments where maintenance pages serve as critical interfaces for user communication. An attacker exploiting this vulnerability could replace legitimate maintenance templates with malicious content, potentially leading to phishing attacks or the distribution of malware through compromised website interfaces. The unauthenticated nature of the exploit means that no prior access credentials are required, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited by anyone who knows the target website's URL. This vulnerability directly impacts the principle of least privilege and can result in unauthorized modification of website content, potentially affecting business operations, user trust, and overall website security posture. Organizations relying on this plugin for maintenance operations face increased exposure to social engineering attacks and content injection threats.
Security mitigation strategies for CVE-2024-9706 should prioritize immediate plugin updates to versions that address the missing capability check, as this represents the most direct and effective solution. System administrators must ensure that all instances of the Ultimate Coming Soon & Maintenance plugin are updated to versions that properly validate user permissions before allowing template modifications. Additionally, implementing network-level monitoring to detect unusual template modification patterns can provide early warning signs of potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability's classification under CWE-284 emphasizes the importance of robust access control implementation, which should be enforced through proper capability checks that verify user roles and permissions. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and content security policies to further protect against exploitation attempts, while maintaining regular security audits to identify similar access control vulnerabilities in other plugins and themes. The ATT&CK framework's T1059.008 technique for Command and Scripting Interpreter could be relevant if attackers attempt to leverage this vulnerability for broader system compromise through malicious template content.