Overview
The CVE-2024-13808 vulnerability is a critical security flaw impacting the Xpro Elementor Addons – Pro plugin for WordPress. This vulnerability can enable attackers to remotely execute code on the server, potentially resulting in system compromise or data leakage. It specifically affects versions up to and including 1.4.9 of the plugin. The severity of this vulnerability combined with the widespread use of the WordPress platform makes this a substantial cybersecurity concern that warrants immediate attention from all users of the affected plugin.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2024-13808
Severity: High (8.8/10)
Attack Vector: Remote
Privileges Required: Contributor level access
User Interaction: Required
Impact: Potential system compromise or data leakage
Affected Products
No phone number, email, or personal info required.
Product | Affected Versions
Xpro Elementor Addons – Pro WordPress Plugin | Up to and including 1.4.9
How the Exploit Works
The vulnerability exists due to inadequate security controls on the client side in the custom PHP widget of the Xpro Elementor Addons – Pro plugin. This allows an authenticated attacker with contributor-level access or above to send a crafted request, leading to arbitrary code execution on the server. The server then processes this injected malicious code, potentially leading to complete system compromise.
Conceptual Example Code
An attacker might exploit this vulnerability by sending a POST request to a vulnerable endpoint, containing a malicious payload. This could look something like the following:
POST /wp-content/plugins/xpro-addons-pro/php-widget-endpoint HTTP/1.1
Host: target.example.com
Content-Type: application/php
{ "php_code": "<?php system('rm -rf /'); ?>" }In this conceptual example, the attacker sends a malicious PHP code payload that, when executed, could potentially delete all files in the server’s root directory.
Please note that this is a conceptual example and actual exploitation may vary based on the attacker’s intent and the specific configuration of the targeted system.
Prevention and Mitigation
All users of the Xpro Elementor Addons – Pro plugin for WordPress are strongly advised to update to the latest version of the plugin which includes a patch for this vulnerability. As a temporary mitigation, users can also deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) that can detect and block attempts to exploit this vulnerability. However, these should not be seen as permanent solutions, but rather as stopgaps until the patch can be applied.