CVE-2025-24724 in Side Menu Lite Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 01/24/2025
Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in Wow-Company Side Menu Lite allows Cross Site Request Forgery. This issue affects Side Menu Lite: from n/a through 5.3.1.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/08/2025
The Cross-Site Request Forgery vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-24724 resides within the Wow-Company Side Menu Lite plugin, representing a critical security flaw that undermines the integrity of web applications relying on this component. This vulnerability specifically impacts versions ranging from an unspecified starting point through version 5.3.1, creating a substantial attack surface for malicious actors seeking to exploit user sessions and execute unauthorized actions. The flaw manifests in the plugin's failure to implement proper CSRF protection mechanisms, leaving web applications vulnerable to attacks that can manipulate user requests without their knowledge or consent. The vulnerability operates by tricking authenticated users into performing unintended actions on a web application where they are currently authenticated, exploiting the trust relationship between the user and the web application.
The technical implementation of this CSRF vulnerability stems from the absence of anti-CSRF tokens or similar protective measures within the plugin's request handling mechanisms. When users interact with web applications utilizing the Side Menu Lite plugin, their requests can be manipulated by attackers who craft malicious requests that appear legitimate to the server. This occurs because the plugin does not validate the origin of requests or verify that the requests are genuinely initiated by the authenticated user. The flaw directly relates to CWE-352, which defines Cross-Site Request Forgery as a vulnerability where an attacker can induce users to perform actions they did not intend to execute. The vulnerability allows attackers to leverage the trust relationship between the web application and the user, potentially enabling unauthorized modifications to user accounts, data manipulation, or other malicious activities that align with the attacker's objectives.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data manipulation, as it can facilitate more sophisticated attacks that compromise the overall security posture of affected applications. Attackers can exploit this weakness to perform actions such as changing user passwords, modifying access permissions, deleting content, or executing administrative functions without proper authorization. The vulnerability's presence in the Side Menu Lite plugin creates a persistent risk for websites that rely on this component for navigation functionality, as it undermines the fundamental security assumptions of web applications. This risk is particularly concerning given that navigation components are often integral to user interfaces and may be accessed frequently, increasing the attack surface and potential impact of exploitation. The vulnerability can be exploited through various attack vectors including phishing emails, compromised websites, or social engineering campaigns that direct users to malicious sites.
Mitigation strategies for this CSRF vulnerability must address both immediate remediation and long-term security enhancements within the affected applications. The primary recommendation involves implementing robust anti-CSRF token mechanisms that validate the authenticity of user requests and ensure that all state-changing operations require proper authorization tokens. Organizations should update to the latest available version of the Side Menu Lite plugin that contains patches for this vulnerability, while also considering the implementation of additional security controls such as Content Security Policy headers and SameSite cookie attributes. The vulnerability's classification under the ATT&CK framework falls under the T1531 technique of "Account Access Removal" and potentially T1071.004 for "Application Layer Protocol: DNS" if the exploitation involves DNS-based command and control mechanisms. Security teams should also implement monitoring solutions to detect anomalous user behavior patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts, while ensuring that all user sessions are properly validated and that appropriate access controls are maintained throughout the application lifecycle.