CVE-2024-35689: Analytify Dashboard CSRF Vulnerability

CVE-2024-35689 Overview

CVE-2024-35689 is a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability affecting the Analytify WordPress plugin. The flaw exists in all versions up to and including 5.2.3. An attacker can craft a malicious page that, when visited by an authenticated administrator, triggers unauthorized state-changing requests against the plugin. The issue is tracked under CWE-352 and was published to the National Vulnerability Database (NVD) on June 8, 2024.

Critical Impact
Successful exploitation allows attackers to perform privileged actions in the Analytify plugin on behalf of an authenticated administrator, leading to high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

Affected Products

Analytify – Google Analytics Dashboard plugin for WordPress
All versions from n/a through 5.2.3
WordPress sites with the vulnerable plugin installed and active

Discovery Timeline

2024-06-08 - CVE-2024-35689 published to NVD
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-35689

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability stems from missing or improperly validated anti-CSRF tokens in privileged request handlers within the Analytify plugin. WordPress provides nonce mechanisms such as wp_nonce_field() and check_admin_referer() to prevent forged requests, and the absence of correct validation in the affected handlers allows cross-origin requests to be accepted.

An attacker hosts a malicious page containing crafted HTML forms or JavaScript. When a logged-in WordPress administrator visits the page, the browser automatically attaches authentication cookies to the request. The plugin then processes the action as if the administrator initiated it.

The Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS) currently rates this issue at 0.202%, indicating low observed exploitation activity. However, the impact on a successful single-click attack remains high because Analytify is administered with elevated WordPress privileges.

Root Cause

The root cause is the lack of CSRF protection on state-changing endpoints exposed by the plugin. Requests that modify plugin configuration or trigger administrative functionality do not require a verifiable nonce tied to the requesting user session.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires user interaction. The attacker must lure an authenticated administrator to a malicious URL or embed the exploit payload in content the administrator views, such as a phishing email or compromised website. The request travels over the network and reaches the WordPress site using the administrator's existing session.

No authentication or prior privileges are required from the attacker side. Refer to the Patchstack CSRF Vulnerability Report for additional technical context.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-35689

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected changes to Analytify plugin settings or Google Analytics integration parameters
Administrator-initiated POST requests originating from external Referer headers unrelated to wp-admin
Plugin configuration modifications occurring shortly after an administrator visited an external link

Detection Strategies

Review WordPress audit logs for state-changing actions against Analytify endpoints without corresponding admin UI navigation
Inspect web server access logs for POST requests to plugin handlers with off-site Referer values
Correlate administrator browser activity with plugin configuration changes to identify suspicious sequences

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable a WordPress activity logging plugin to capture configuration changes and the originating user session
Monitor outbound links visited by administrators, particularly from email clients and chat platforms
Alert on Analytify settings modifications that occur outside of scheduled maintenance windows

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-35689

Immediate Actions Required

Update the Analytify plugin to a version later than 5.2.3 as soon as the vendor releases a patched build
Restrict administrator browsing habits and require administrators to use a dedicated browser profile for WordPress management
Audit recent plugin configuration changes and revert any unauthorized modifications

Patch Information

No vendor advisory URL is listed in the enriched CVE record. Site operators should consult the Patchstack CSRF Vulnerability Report and the official Analytify plugin page for the latest fixed version and upgrade guidance.

Workarounds

Deactivate the Analytify plugin until a fixed release is installed if administrators cannot avoid untrusted browsing
Deploy a web application firewall (WAF) rule that enforces Referer and Origin header validation for wp-admin POST requests
Limit administrator accounts to the minimum necessary and use separate low-privilege accounts for daily content tasks

bash

# Example WAF rule concept - block wp-admin POSTs lacking same-origin Referer
# Adjust syntax to match your WAF (ModSecurity shown)
SecRule REQUEST_METHOD "@streq POST" \
  "chain,phase:1,deny,status:403,id:1004352,msg:'Possible CSRF against wp-admin'"
  SecRule REQUEST_URI "@beginsWith /wp-admin/" \
    "chain"
    SecRule REQUEST_HEADERS:Referer "!@beginsWith https://your-site.example/" "t:none"