CVE-2024-37111: WishList Member X Auth Bypass Flaw

CVE-2024-37111 Overview

CVE-2024-37111 is a Missing Authorization vulnerability [CWE-862] affecting the WishList Member X WordPress plugin developed by Membership Software. The flaw allows unauthenticated attackers to trigger a denial-of-service condition against the targeted WordPress site over the network. All versions prior to 3.26.7 are affected. The vulnerability stems from missing access control checks on a plugin endpoint that can be invoked without authentication, enabling remote attackers to exhaust application resources.

Critical Impact
Unauthenticated remote attackers can trigger a denial-of-service condition against WordPress sites running WishList Member X before version 3.26.7, disrupting membership site availability.

Affected Products

WishList Member X for WordPress, all versions before 3.26.7
WordPress sites running the WishList Member X membership plugin
Membership Software WishList Member X plugin installations

Discovery Timeline

2024-06-24 - CVE-2024-37111 published to NVD
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-37111

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is classified as Missing Authorization under [CWE-862]. The WishList Member X plugin exposes functionality that does not verify the caller's authorization state before processing the request. Attackers can reach the affected endpoint over the network without credentials and without user interaction. Successful exploitation does not disclose data or modify integrity, but it degrades or eliminates the availability of the WordPress site. For sites monetizing memberships, this directly disrupts paid services and content delivery.

Root Cause

The root cause is the absence of an authorization check on a plugin handler. WordPress plugins commonly rely on capability checks such as current_user_can() or nonce validation through check_ajax_referer() before performing privileged or resource-intensive operations. WishList Member X versions before 3.26.7 omit these checks on at least one reachable handler, allowing anonymous callers to invoke logic that should be restricted.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is purely network-based. An attacker sends crafted HTTP requests to the vulnerable plugin endpoint on a target WordPress site. No authentication, privileges, or user interaction is required. Repeated or specially formed requests cause the server to consume resources until availability degrades. According to the Patchstack Vulnerability Report, the vector is unauthenticated and reachable directly through the WordPress request lifecycle.

No verified public proof-of-concept code is available. Refer to the Patchstack advisory for technical disclosure details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-37111

Indicators of Compromise

Spikes in HTTP requests to WishList Member X plugin endpoints, particularly admin-ajax.php and plugin-specific routes under /wp-content/plugins/wishlist-member/
Elevated PHP-FPM or Apache worker exhaustion correlating with traffic to WishList Member X handlers
Repeated unauthenticated POST or GET requests from a small set of source IP addresses targeting plugin actions
WordPress error logs showing timeouts, memory exhaustion, or 5xx responses tied to plugin execution

Detection Strategies

Inventory WordPress installations and identify any running WishList Member X below version 3.26.7
Monitor web server access logs for anomalous request rates to plugin URLs and AJAX actions associated with WishList Member X
Configure web application firewall (WAF) rules to flag unauthenticated requests to plugin endpoints that historically required authentication
Correlate availability degradation events with plugin-specific request patterns in your SIEM

Monitoring Recommendations

Alert on sustained increases in 5xx response codes or request latency for WordPress origins hosting WishList Member X
Track unauthenticated request volume to the plugin path and baseline normal traffic to detect deviations
Forward web server, PHP, and WordPress logs to a centralized analytics platform for cross-source correlation
Enable rate-limit telemetry on reverse proxies or CDNs in front of WordPress sites

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-37111

Immediate Actions Required

Upgrade WishList Member X to version 3.26.7 or later on all affected WordPress sites
Audit WordPress plugin inventories to confirm no vulnerable instances remain in production or staging
Place WordPress sites behind a WAF or CDN configured to rate-limit unauthenticated requests to plugin endpoints
Review web server logs for prior exploitation attempts that may have caused outages

Patch Information

The vendor addressed the issue in WishList Member X version 3.26.7. Administrators should update through the WordPress plugin manager or by deploying the patched plugin package. Reference the Patchstack Vulnerability Report for the authoritative remediation guidance.

Workarounds

If immediate patching is not possible, restrict access to the WishList Member X plugin endpoints at the web server or WAF layer
Apply aggressive rate limiting on admin-ajax.php and plugin paths for unauthenticated sources
Temporarily deactivate the WishList Member X plugin on non-critical sites until the patched version is installed
Deploy network-level DDoS protection in front of WordPress origins to absorb resource-exhaustion traffic

bash

# Example nginx rate-limit configuration for WordPress AJAX endpoint
limit_req_zone $binary_remote_addr zone=wp_ajax:10m rate=10r/m;

location = /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php {
    limit_req zone=wp_ajax burst=20 nodelay;
    include fastcgi_params;
    fastcgi_pass php_upstream;
}