Introduction

Hey there! I'm Abishek Kafle, a security researcher with the Patchstack Alliance. Today, I want to tell you how I found a big security flaw in a popular WordPress plugin, which got the CVE-2024-31251. This story shows why detailed security research is important and how one person's work can greatly impact the open-source community.

What is CVE-2024-31251?

CVE-2024-31251 is a security vulnerability identified in the WordPress Community by PeepSo plugin. Here are the essential details:

• Vulnerability Type: Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF)

• Affected Versions: All versions up to and including 6.3.1.1

• Fixed Version: 6.3.1.2 and later

• Severity: Medium (CVSS Score: 4.3)

Understanding the Vulnerability

Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) is a type of attack that tricks a user's browser into performing unwanted actions on a website where the user is authenticated. In the context of the PeepSo plugin, this could potentially allow an attacker to:

1. Modify user settings without permission

2. Post content on behalf of logged-in users

3. Alter community configurations

Technical Details

• CWE Classification: CWE-352 (Cross-Site Request Forgery)

• CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N

This vector indicates that the attack:

• Requires no special privileges

• Can be launched from the network

• Needs user interaction

• Has a low impact on confidentiality and availability, but some impact on integrity.

Why This Matters?

→ If you're using the Community by PeepSo plugin, update to version 6.3.1.2 or later as soon as possible.