CVE-2024-51630 Overview
CVE-2024-51630 is a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the Lars Schenk Responsive Flickr Gallery plugin for WordPress. The flaw affects all versions up to and including 1.3.1. Successful exploitation allows attackers to chain the CSRF flaw into Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS), injecting persistent malicious scripts into the WordPress site. The vulnerability is tracked under CWE-352 and requires user interaction from an authenticated administrator to trigger the malicious request.
Critical Impact
An unauthenticated attacker can trick a logged-in WordPress administrator into submitting a forged request that stores attacker-controlled JavaScript, enabling persistent script execution against site visitors and admins.
Affected Products
- Lars Schenk Responsive Flickr Gallery WordPress plugin
- All versions from initial release through 1.3.1
- WordPress sites with the responsive-flickr-gallery plugin active
Discovery Timeline
- 2024-11-09 - CVE-2024-51630 published to NVD
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2024-51630
Vulnerability Analysis
The Responsive Flickr Gallery plugin fails to validate the origin of state-changing HTTP requests in its administrative actions. Plugin handlers do not verify a WordPress nonce or equivalent anti-CSRF token before processing input that is later rendered in the browser. The flaw is classified as [CWE-352] Cross-Site Request Forgery and escalates into Stored XSS because the unsanitized payload persists in the database. An attacker who lures an authenticated administrator to a malicious page can submit forged requests on the administrator's behalf, writing arbitrary script content into plugin-controlled fields.
The EPSS score is 0.161%, reflecting low observed exploitation activity at the time of analysis. However, CSRF-to-Stored-XSS chains in WordPress plugins are routinely weaponized in automated mass-compromise campaigns once disclosure is public.
Root Cause
The root cause is the absence of CSRF protection on administrative endpoints handling gallery configuration. The plugin does not call wp_verify_nonce() or check_admin_referer() on the relevant POST handlers. Additionally, user-supplied input is stored and later output without proper escaping through esc_html(), esc_attr(), or similar WordPress sanitization functions, enabling the stored XSS payload to execute on render.
Attack Vector
Exploitation requires an attacker to host a crafted page or send a link containing an auto-submitting HTML form. When a logged-in WordPress administrator visits the page, the browser issues an authenticated request to the vulnerable plugin endpoint using the administrator's session cookies. The forged request stores a JavaScript payload that executes whenever the affected gallery configuration page or front-end gallery is loaded. Refer to the Patchstack WordPress Vulnerability Report for additional technical context.
Detection Methods for CVE-2024-51630
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected <script>, onerror, or onload strings stored within Responsive Flickr Gallery plugin options in the wp_options table.
- New or modified administrative users created shortly after an admin visited an external link.
- Outbound browser requests from admin sessions to unfamiliar domains hosting JavaScript payloads.
- HTTP POST requests to /wp-admin/ endpoints associated with responsive-flickr-gallery lacking a valid _wpnonce parameter.
Detection Strategies
- Inspect plugin settings in the WordPress database for HTML or JavaScript markup that should not appear in gallery configuration fields.
- Review web server access logs for cross-origin Referer headers on plugin admin endpoints.
- Monitor for stored XSS execution by scanning rendered admin pages and front-end output for injected script tags.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable WordPress audit logging to capture changes to plugin options and administrative actions.
- Alert on modifications to the Responsive Flickr Gallery configuration outside of approved change windows.
- Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) ruleset that flags POST requests to plugin admin pages missing a valid nonce.
How to Mitigate CVE-2024-51630
Immediate Actions Required
- Deactivate the Responsive Flickr Gallery plugin until a vendor-supplied patch above version 1.3.1 is available and verified.
- Audit all gallery configuration fields and remove any HTML or JavaScript payloads stored by the plugin.
- Force a password reset and re-authentication for all WordPress administrator accounts.
- Review recent administrator activity logs for unauthorized changes that may indicate prior exploitation.
Patch Information
At the time of publication, no fixed version is identified in the NVD record beyond 1.3.1. Site operators should monitor the Patchstack advisory and the official WordPress plugin repository for an updated release that adds nonce verification and output escaping.
Workarounds
- Remove or replace the plugin with a maintained alternative that implements CSRF nonces and proper output escaping.
- Restrict access to /wp-admin/ by source IP using web server or WAF rules to reduce the chance of admin-targeted CSRF.
- Enforce SameSite=Lax or SameSite=Strict cookies on the WordPress session to limit cross-site request inclusion of authentication cookies.
- Instruct administrators to log out of WordPress before browsing untrusted sites or following external links.
# Disable the vulnerable plugin via WP-CLI until a patched release is available
wp plugin deactivate responsive-flickr-gallery
wp plugin delete responsive-flickr-gallery
# Verify the plugin is no longer active
wp plugin list --status=active | grep -i flickr
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
