CVE-2024-12419: CF7 WOW Styler Arbitrary Shortcode RCE

CVE-2024-12419 Overview

CVE-2024-12419 affects the Design for Contact Form 7 Style WordPress Plugin, also known as CF7 WOW Styler. The plugin allows unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary WordPress shortcodes due to missing validation before a do_shortcode call. All versions up to and including 1.7.0 are vulnerable. Version 1.7.0 patched a related Reflected Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) issue in the same code path, but the arbitrary shortcode execution flaw remains unpatched at the time of publication. The weakness is classified as Improper Control of Generation of Code [CWE-94].

Critical Impact
Unauthenticated attackers can execute arbitrary shortcodes on affected WordPress sites, potentially exposing data from any installed plugin that registers sensitive shortcodes.

Affected Products

Design for Contact Form 7 Style WordPress Plugin (CF7 WOW Styler) versions ≤ 1.7.0
WordPress installations with the cf7-styler plugin active
Sites running Contact Form 7 alongside CF7 WOW Styler

Discovery Timeline

2025-01-07 - CVE-2024-12419 published to NVD
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-12419

Vulnerability Analysis

The CF7 WOW Styler plugin exposes an action handler that passes attacker-controlled input to WordPress's do_shortcode function without validating the value. Because the handler is reachable without authentication, any remote user can request shortcode execution on the target site. Arbitrary shortcode execution does not grant code execution directly, but it allows attackers to invoke any shortcode registered by the WordPress core or installed plugins. Depending on the shortcodes available, this can disclose user data, dump form submissions, enumerate content, or trigger actions the attacker should not be able to reach.

Root Cause

The root cause is missing input validation in the plugin's admin handler located in admin/class-cf7-customizer-admin.php. The handler accepts a request parameter and forwards it to do_shortcode without verifying the shortcode name, capability of the caller, or request nonce. Version 1.7.0 sanitized output to address a Reflected XSS vector but did not add authentication, capability, or allow-list checks around the shortcode execution path.

Attack Vector

The vulnerability is reachable over the network with no authentication and no user interaction. An attacker sends a crafted HTTP request to the vulnerable WordPress endpoint and supplies a shortcode payload in the parameter processed by the plugin. The server renders the shortcode in the response. See the Wordfence Vulnerability Report and the referenced WordPress CF7 Styler Admin Code for the vulnerable call site.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-12419

Indicators of Compromise

HTTP requests to wp-admin/admin-ajax.php or plugin-specific endpoints containing shortcode syntax such as [ and ] characters in query or POST parameters
Unexpected shortcode output rendered in AJAX responses from the cf7-styler plugin
Access log entries referencing cf7-styler or cf7_customizer actions from unauthenticated sessions

Detection Strategies

Inspect WordPress access logs for requests to the plugin's AJAX actions originating from unauthenticated clients
Alert on request bodies containing shortcode tokens for sensitive plugins (for example, user listings or form submission dumps)
Correlate repeated requests from a single source enumerating different shortcode names, which indicates probing

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules that match unauthenticated POSTs carrying shortcode payloads to cf7-styler endpoints
Monitor WordPress plugin inventory to identify sites running cf7-styler versions ≤ 1.7.0
Baseline normal admin-ajax.php traffic volume and alert on anomalous spikes tied to the vulnerable action name

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-12419

Immediate Actions Required

Deactivate and remove the CF7 WOW Styler plugin until a fixed version is released, since the shortcode execution flaw remains unpatched after version 1.7.0
Audit installed WordPress plugins for shortcodes that expose sensitive data or privileged actions and restrict their use
Block unauthenticated requests to plugin AJAX endpoints at the WAF or reverse proxy layer

Patch Information

As of the latest NVD update, no vendor patch resolves the arbitrary shortcode execution issue. Version 1.7.0 addressed only the Reflected XSS component of the same code path. Monitor the WordPress plugin repository for an updated release that validates input before calling do_shortcode.

Workarounds

Remove the plugin entirely if site functionality permits
Add server-side rules to drop requests whose parameters contain [ and ] targeting the vulnerable action
Restrict access to WordPress admin AJAX endpoints by IP allow-list where feasible

bash

# Configuration example: block unauthenticated requests containing shortcode syntax
# at the plugin's AJAX action using an Nginx location rule
location = /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php {
    if ($arg_action ~* "cf7_customizer") {
        if ($request_body ~* "\[.+\]") {
            return 403;
        }
    }
    include fastcgi_params;
    fastcgi_pass php-fpm;
}