CVE-2024-27948 is a moderate-severity Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability found in BytesForAll Atahualpa, a popular WordPress theme. This vulnerability can potentially allow an attacker to deceive users with elevated permissions into performing unauthorized actions on the website. Versions from undefined (n/a) through 3.7.24 are affected by this security flaw.

Exploit Details

In the BytesForAll Atahualpa theme, there is a lack of adequate CSRF protection. CSRF attacks involve tricking a user into unknowingly submitting a request that includes their valid session data, allowing the attacker to carry out actions on their behalf. With this vulnerability, an attacker creates a crafted link or a malicious web page that, when clicked or visited by a user with administrative access, can cause undesired changes within the website or lead to the unwanted disclosure of sensitive information.

Here's a code snippet showcasing the vulnerability

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
  <body>
    <h1>Click the Button Below to Win a Prize!</h1>
    <form action="http://your-vulnerable-site.com/wp-admin/themes.php?page=atahualpa-options"; method="POST">
      <input type="hidden" name="action" value="update" />
      <input type="hidden" name="some_setting" value="malicious_value" />
      <input type="submit" value="Click Here to Win!" />
    </form>
  </body>
</html>

In this snippet, the attacker has created a form that, once submitted, sends a POST request to the Atahualpa theme's options page. The request includes input elements with malicious values that can alter the configuration or settings of the website.

Mitigation & Recommendations

To mitigate this vulnerability, it is recommended that affected users update their BytesForAll Atahualpa theme to the latest version (if available) or consider using an alternative theme that has proper CSRF protection in place. Furthermore, users should remain cautious when clicking on links or visiting unfamiliar websites.

Unfortunately, there appears to be no official patch for this vulnerability. However, users can implement CSRF tokens manually as a temporary measure until an official fix is available. A detailed guide on how to use CSRF tokens in WordPress can be found at this link.

Original References

- CVE-2024-27948 on the National Vulnerability Database
- BytesForAll Atahualpa theme official website
- Cross-Site Request Forgery Prevention in WordPress

Conclusion

While CVE-2024-27948 is a moderate-severity vulnerability, the risk it poses to users of the BytesForAll Atahualpa theme should not be overlooked. It's essential to stay up-to-date with security fixes and ensure websites remain protected against potential CSRF attacks. Adopting a cautious approach to clicking links or visiting unknown websites is also a crucial step in maintaining overall online security.

Timeline

Published on: 02/28/2024 19:15:11 UTC
Last modified on: 02/29/2024 13:49:47 UTC