CVE-2024-31274 Overview
CVE-2024-31274 is a Missing Authorization vulnerability [CWE-862] in the WPDeveloper EmbedPress plugin for WordPress. The flaw affects all versions from initial release through 3.9.11. An unauthenticated attacker can reach functionality that should require privileged access, resulting in a broken access control condition. The vulnerability is exploitable remotely over the network without user interaction and without prior authentication. Impact is limited to integrity of plugin data, with no direct confidentiality or availability effects.
Critical Impact
Unauthenticated network attackers can invoke EmbedPress plugin actions that lack proper authorization checks, allowing low-level integrity changes to WordPress sites running EmbedPress 3.9.11 or earlier.
Affected Products
- WPDeveloper EmbedPress plugin for WordPress
- All versions from initial release through 3.9.11
- WordPress sites with EmbedPress installed and activated
Discovery Timeline
- 2024-06-09 - CVE-2024-31274 published to the National Vulnerability Database
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2024-31274
Vulnerability Analysis
The EmbedPress plugin exposes one or more actions that do not validate whether the requester has the required capability to perform them. This is a classic Missing Authorization weakness classified under [CWE-862]. Because the flaw is reachable over the network without authentication, an attacker only needs to send a crafted HTTP request to a vulnerable WordPress site. Successful exploitation permits limited modification of plugin-controlled data, which can affect embedded content rendered to site visitors. Confidentiality and availability of the WordPress installation are not directly affected according to the published metrics.
Root Cause
The root cause is the absence of a capability check on privileged plugin endpoints. WordPress plugins are expected to gate sensitive actions with current_user_can() and to validate requests with nonces via check_ajax_referer() or wp_verify_nonce(). In EmbedPress versions through 3.9.11, at least one action handler omits these checks, allowing anonymous callers to reach code paths intended for administrators or editors.
Attack Vector
Exploitation requires network access to the WordPress site and does not require credentials or user interaction. An attacker issues an HTTP request to the vulnerable EmbedPress endpoint (for example, an admin-ajax.php action or a REST route registered by the plugin). Because authorization is not enforced server-side, the request is processed as if it originated from a legitimate privileged user. Further technical detail is available in the Patchstack Vulnerability Report.
Detection Methods for CVE-2024-31274
Indicators of Compromise
- Unauthenticated POST requests to wp-admin/admin-ajax.php referencing EmbedPress-registered actions from external IP addresses.
- Unexpected modifications to EmbedPress settings, embed configurations, or plugin options with no corresponding administrator login event.
- Access log entries targeting EmbedPress REST namespaces without a valid authentication cookie or nonce header.
Detection Strategies
- Inventory WordPress sites and identify installations running EmbedPress at or below version 3.9.11.
- Review web server access logs for anonymous requests to EmbedPress action handlers correlated with configuration changes.
- Compare current plugin option values against a known-good baseline to spot unauthorized changes.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable WordPress audit logging to record option changes, plugin actions, and REST API invocations.
- Forward web server and WordPress audit logs to a centralized analytics platform for correlation and long-term retention.
- Alert on repeated unauthenticated hits to plugin-specific admin-ajax.php actions from a single source.
How to Mitigate CVE-2024-31274
Immediate Actions Required
- Upgrade EmbedPress to a version later than 3.9.11 as published by WPDeveloper.
- If patching is not immediately possible, restrict access to wp-admin/admin-ajax.php and EmbedPress REST routes at the web application firewall.
- Audit EmbedPress settings and embedded content for unauthorized modifications and revert as needed.
Patch Information
WPDeveloper addressed the Missing Authorization issue in a release subsequent to EmbedPress 3.9.11. Administrators should consult the Patchstack Vulnerability Report for the fixed version and update through the WordPress plugin manager or WP-CLI.
Workarounds
- Deploy WAF rules that block unauthenticated requests to EmbedPress admin-ajax.php actions and REST endpoints.
- Temporarily deactivate the EmbedPress plugin on sites where an upgrade cannot be scheduled immediately.
- Enforce least-privilege on WordPress accounts and remove unused administrator or editor accounts to reduce blast radius.
# Update EmbedPress via WP-CLI on affected WordPress hosts
wp plugin update embedpress --path=/var/www/html
wp plugin get embedpress --field=version --path=/var/www/html
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
