CVE-2024-30487 Overview
CVE-2024-30487 is a Missing Authorization vulnerability [CWE-862] in the Sonaar MP3 Audio Player for Music, Radio & Podcast WordPress plugin. The flaw affects all versions from the initial release through 5.1. Authenticated attackers with low privileges can invoke restricted plugin functionality because the plugin fails to verify user capabilities before executing sensitive operations. The vulnerability carries a CVSS v3.1 score of 7.6, driven by high integrity impact combined with network exploitability and low privilege requirements. See the Patchstack advisory for full technical details.
Critical Impact
Authenticated attackers can bypass authorization checks to modify plugin data and site content, affecting integrity across WordPress installations running the Sonaar MP3 Audio Player plugin through version 5.1.
Affected Products
- Sonaar MP3 Audio Player for Music, Radio & Podcast (WordPress plugin) versions through 5.1
- WordPress sites running the vulnerable plugin with subscriber-or-higher user accounts
- Sites exposing plugin AJAX or REST endpoints to authenticated users
Discovery Timeline
- 2024-03-29 - CVE-2024-30487 published to the National Vulnerability Database
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2024-30487
Vulnerability Analysis
The plugin exposes one or more actions that lack proper capability checks. When an authenticated user submits a request to these endpoints, the plugin executes the requested operation without validating whether the caller holds the required WordPress role or capability. This Broken Access Control pattern allows low-privilege users, such as subscribers, to perform actions intended for administrators or editors.
The attack requires network access and valid credentials, but no user interaction. Successful exploitation grants high integrity impact, meaning the attacker can alter plugin configuration or content stored by the plugin. Confidentiality and availability impact are limited to a lower scope.
Root Cause
The root cause is a missing authorization control [CWE-862]. The plugin registers callbacks that execute privileged logic but omits calls to current_user_can() or equivalent capability checks. Nonce verification alone does not enforce authorization, since any authenticated user can obtain a valid nonce from pages they can access.
Attack Vector
An attacker authenticates to WordPress using any low-privilege account, then issues a crafted HTTP request to the affected plugin endpoint. Because authorization is not enforced server-side, the plugin processes the request as if the caller were privileged. Refer to the Patchstack advisory for endpoint specifics.
No public proof-of-concept exploit is currently available, and the vulnerability is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.
Detection Methods for CVE-2024-30487
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected modifications to Sonaar MP3 Audio Player plugin settings, playlists, or associated post metadata.
- WordPress audit logs showing plugin AJAX or REST endpoint calls originating from subscriber-level accounts.
- New or modified content created by low-privilege users outside their normal capability set.
Detection Strategies
- Enable a WordPress activity log plugin to capture role-scoped actions and flag privileged operations performed by non-administrative users.
- Monitor web server access logs for POST requests to admin-ajax.php referencing Sonaar plugin actions from low-privilege session cookies.
- Compare current plugin database options against known-good baselines to detect unauthorized changes.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Alert on HTTP 200 responses to plugin endpoints when the authenticated user role is subscriber or contributor.
- Track anomalous frequency of plugin AJAX calls per user account.
- Forward WordPress and web server logs to a centralized SIEM or data lake for correlation and retention.
How to Mitigate CVE-2024-30487
Immediate Actions Required
- Update the Sonaar MP3 Audio Player for Music, Radio & Podcast plugin to a version later than 5.1 as soon as the vendor publishes a fixed release.
- Audit existing WordPress user accounts and remove or downgrade unused low-privilege accounts that could be leveraged for exploitation.
- Review plugin-managed content and settings for unauthorized changes prior to patching.
Patch Information
Consult the Patchstack advisory and the plugin listing on WordPress.org for the current fixed version. Apply updates through the WordPress admin console or via wp-cli.
Workarounds
- Deactivate the Sonaar MP3 Audio Player plugin until a patched version is installed if the plugin is not business-critical.
- Restrict access to wp-admin and admin-ajax.php using a web application firewall rule that blocks Sonaar-specific actions from non-privileged roles.
- Enforce strong authentication and multi-factor authentication on all WordPress accounts to reduce the pool of usable attacker credentials.
# Update the plugin via wp-cli once a fixed release is available
wp plugin update sonaar-music --version=<fixed_version>
# Alternatively, deactivate the plugin until patched
wp plugin deactivate sonaar-music
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
