CVE-2024-31301 Overview
CVE-2024-31301 is a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability affecting the Themeisle Multiple Page Generator Plugin (MPG) for WordPress. The issue impacts all versions up to and including 3.4.0. An attacker can trick an authenticated administrator into submitting forged requests that perform unauthorized state-changing actions in the plugin. Successful exploitation requires user interaction, such as clicking a crafted link or visiting an attacker-controlled page. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-352.
Critical Impact
An attacker who lures an authenticated WordPress administrator to a malicious page can perform unauthorized actions through the MPG plugin, leading to high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected WordPress site.
Affected Products
- Themeisle Multiple Page Generator Plugin – MPG (WordPress plugin)
- All versions from n/a through 3.4.0
- WordPress sites running the vulnerable plugin with administrative users
Discovery Timeline
- 2024-04-12 - CVE-2024-31301 published to NVD
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2024-31301
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability stems from missing or insufficient CSRF protections in privileged actions exposed by the Multiple Page Generator Plugin. WordPress plugins typically defend against CSRF by validating a nonce on every state-changing request using functions such as wp_verify_nonce() or check_admin_referer(). When these checks are missing or improperly implemented, an attacker-controlled web page can issue cross-origin requests that the browser submits using the administrator's authenticated session cookies.
The attack requires user interaction, meaning the attacker must convince a logged-in WordPress administrator to visit a malicious page or click a crafted link. Once the forged request reaches the plugin endpoint, it executes with the administrator's privileges. The attack vector is network-based with low complexity and requires no prior authentication on the attacker side.
Root Cause
The root cause is the absence or improper validation of anti-CSRF tokens (nonces) on plugin endpoints that modify server-side state. Without nonce verification, the plugin cannot distinguish between requests intentionally initiated by an authenticated user and forged requests originating from a third-party origin.
Attack Vector
An attacker hosts a crafted HTML page containing a form or JavaScript that automatically submits a request to the vulnerable MPG endpoint. The attacker then lures a WordPress administrator to that page through phishing, malicious advertising, or a compromised third-party site. The victim's browser attaches WordPress authentication cookies to the request, and the plugin processes the action as if it were authorized. Refer to the Patchstack CSRF Vulnerability Report for additional technical context.
Detection Methods for CVE-2024-31301
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected modifications to MPG plugin configuration, generated pages, or imported datasets without corresponding administrator activity in audit logs.
- HTTP POST requests to MPG plugin endpoints with Referer headers pointing to external or unfamiliar domains.
- Administrator session activity originating from URLs or pages unrelated to the WordPress admin dashboard.
Detection Strategies
- Monitor WordPress access logs for requests to wp-admin/admin.php?page=mpg* or related plugin endpoints with off-site Referer values.
- Compare timestamps of plugin configuration changes against administrator login sessions to identify discrepancies.
- Deploy a web application firewall (WAF) rule that flags state-changing requests to plugin endpoints lacking valid nonce parameters.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable WordPress audit logging plugins to track administrative actions and plugin configuration changes.
- Forward WordPress and web server logs to a centralized SIEM for correlation with browser and email activity.
- Alert on anomalous administrator behavior such as configuration changes immediately following external navigation events.
How to Mitigate CVE-2024-31301
Immediate Actions Required
- Update the Multiple Page Generator Plugin to a version released after 3.4.0 that includes the CSRF fix.
- Restrict administrator accounts to dedicated browsers or sessions used solely for WordPress management.
- Review recent plugin configuration changes and revert any unauthorized modifications.
Patch Information
Themeisle has addressed the issue in versions released after 3.4.0. Site administrators should consult the Patchstack advisory and the official WordPress plugin repository for the current patched release. Apply the update through the WordPress admin dashboard or via WP-CLI as soon as possible.
Workarounds
- Temporarily deactivate the Multiple Page Generator Plugin until the patched version can be installed.
- Enforce the SameSite=Lax or SameSite=Strict attribute on WordPress authentication cookies via server configuration to reduce cross-origin request risk.
- Require administrators to log out of WordPress when not actively performing administrative tasks.
- Deploy a WAF rule that rejects POST requests to plugin endpoints missing a valid _wpnonce parameter.
# Update the plugin using WP-CLI
wp plugin update multiple-pages-generator-by-porthas
# Verify installed version
wp plugin get multiple-pages-generator-by-porthas --field=version
# If a patch is not yet available, deactivate the plugin
wp plugin deactivate multiple-pages-generator-by-porthas
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
