CVE-2024-11082 - How a WordPress Plugin Put Sites at Risk of Arbitrary File Upload & Remote Code Execution

If you run a WordPress website and you use the Tumult Hype Animations plugin, this post is crucial for you. A critical vulnerability—CVE-2024-11082—has been found, allowing attackers with Author or higher access to upload dangerous files to your server. This can ultimately lead to a total site takeover. Let's break down what happened, how attackers could exploit this bug, and what you can do now.

What Is Tumult Hype Animations?

Tumult Hype Animations is a popular WordPress plugin that helps you embed interactive HTML5 animations onto your website. It's used by thousands of site owners for more lively and engaging pages.

What’s the Vulnerability - CVE-2024-11082?

The vulnerability rests in the plugin's core file upload logic, specifically in the hypeanimations_panel() function. In all Tumult Hype versions up to and including 1.9.15, this function fails to properly check (validate) the type of file users upload.

This means

- Attackers with at least Author access can upload _any_ file they want — not just animation files, but also dangerous scripts or malware.
- If an attacker manages to upload a file like backdoor.php, and they can then access it from the web, they can execute code on your server. This is known as Remote Code Execution (RCE).

*This is a textbook example of an arbitrary file upload vulnerability.*

Exploiting CVE-2024-11082: How Attackers Take Over

Let’s walk through a step-by-step exploit scenario.

Attacker Gets Author Access:

The attacker needs an account with at least Author privileges. (This is a lower-level role, but commonly given to contributors.)

`php

// shell.php

Upload the Shell via Plugin Panel:

Using the plugin’s upload form (which calls hypeanimations_panel()), the attacker uploads their shell.php file. Because there’s no file type validation in affected versions, it happily accepts the file.

Execute Arbitrary Commands:

The file is now on the site, e.g. https://victimsite.com/wp-content/uploads/hypeanimations/shell.php.

`

https://victimsite.com/wp-content/uploads/hypeanimations/shell.php?cmd=cat+wp-config.php

`

And just like that, arbitrary code is executed on the server — the attacker can steal sensitive data, change passwords, or fully compromise the server.

The heart of the problem is in this simplified (but realistic) version of the plugin’s code

function hypeanimations_panel() {
    // ...other code...

    if (isset($_FILES['file'])) {
        $upload_dir = WP_CONTENT_DIR . '/uploads/hypeanimations/';
        $uploaded_file = $upload_dir . basename($_FILES['file']['name']);
        move_uploaded_file($_FILES['file']['tmp_name'], $uploaded_file);

        // No validation of file type or extension here!!
    }
}

The missing key step: There’s no check that the uploaded file is, say, a .zip, .jpg, or safe animation bundle. No filtering out PHP, .exe, or any file types. That’s bad news.

External References

- Wordfence Advisory on CVE-2024-11082
- Plugin homepage
- Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE)

1. Update to a Patched Version

Check if there is an update available for your Tumult Hype Animations plugin. Download it from the official plugin page or the dashboard. Patch notes or advisories may have more info.

2. Remove Plugin If Not Needed

If you don't actively use the plugin, *disable and delete it now*. Attackers often scan for unpatched plugins.

3. Check for Suspicious Files

Look in your wp-content/uploads/hypeanimations/ directory. Remove any unexpected .php, .phtml, or other executable files.

4. Limit Author Permissions

Audit all user accounts. Remove untrusted Author (or higher) accounts.

5. Consider a Web Application Firewall (WAF)

Tools like Wordfence or Sucuri add an extra layer of protection for exactly these sorts of exploits.

Conclusion

CVE-2024-11082 is a dangerous yet common web security pitfall, and it shows how a single missing check can open the door to sitewide compromise. If you run Tumult Hype Animations, you MUST update (or remove) the plugin immediately, or risk a nasty surprise.

Protect your WordPress site! Stay patched, stay safe.

References

- Wordfence vulnerability report
- Tumult Hype Animations on WordPress.org
- CVE-2024-11082 at Mitre

*Feel free to share this post with other WordPress users to help spread the word!*

Timeline

Published on: 11/28/2024 10:15:05 UTC