CVE-2024-56008 Overview
CVE-2024-56008 is a Missing Authorization vulnerability [CWE-862] in the Spreadr Woocommerce plugin for WordPress, also tracked as spreadr-for-woocomerce. The flaw affects all plugin versions up to and including 1.0.4. An unauthenticated attacker can reach plugin functionality that lacks proper Access Control List (ACL) enforcement. According to the Patchstack advisory, this permits arbitrary content deletion on the affected WordPress site. The issue is network-exploitable, requires no privileges, and needs no user interaction.
Critical Impact
Unauthenticated remote attackers can invoke restricted plugin actions and delete arbitrary content from affected WordPress installations.
Affected Products
- Spreadr Woocommerce plugin (spreadr-for-woocomerce) for WordPress
- All versions from n/a through 1.0.4
- WordPress sites running WooCommerce with this plugin enabled
Discovery Timeline
- 2024-12-18 - CVE-2024-56008 published to the National Vulnerability Database
- 2026-04-23 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2024-56008
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability resides in plugin endpoints that perform sensitive actions without verifying the requester's role or capability. WordPress plugins typically expose AJAX actions or REST routes that must validate authorization with current_user_can() and nonce checks. The Spreadr Woocommerce plugin omits these checks on at least one content-modifying handler. As a result, anonymous HTTP requests reach code paths intended for administrators.
The Patchstack report classifies the resulting impact as arbitrary content deletion. An attacker can remove posts, pages, or other plugin-managed objects without authentication. The attack consumes a single HTTP request and produces no integrity-preserving audit trail beyond standard webserver logs.
Root Cause
The root cause is a missing authorization check on a state-changing endpoint, mapped to CWE-862 (Missing Authorization). The handler executes its deletion logic before validating the caller's identity, role, or nonce. This pattern is common in WordPress plugins that rely on UI-level restrictions rather than server-side capability enforcement.
Attack Vector
Exploitation occurs over the network against the affected WordPress site. The attacker sends a crafted HTTP POST to the vulnerable plugin endpoint with parameters identifying the target content. No authentication, session, or user interaction is required. Refer to the Patchstack Vulnerability Report for the specific endpoint details.
Detection Methods for CVE-2024-56008
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected deletion of WordPress posts, pages, products, or plugin-managed records without corresponding admin sessions in audit logs.
- HTTP POST requests to admin-ajax.php or plugin REST routes originating from unauthenticated sessions referencing Spreadr handlers.
- Spikes in wp_posts row removals not attributable to known administrator activity.
Detection Strategies
- Inspect webserver access logs for requests targeting spreadr-for-woocomerce plugin paths with no associated wordpress_logged_in_* cookie.
- Enable WordPress activity logging plugins to capture deletion events with originating IP and user attribution.
- Compare database content counts against historical baselines to flag mass deletion events.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Monitor outbound webhook or REST API calls from the WordPress host triggered by post-deletion hooks.
- Alert on HTTP 200 responses to unauthenticated POST requests against plugin endpoints.
- Forward webserver and WordPress logs to a centralized SIEM for correlation and retention.
How to Mitigate CVE-2024-56008
Immediate Actions Required
- Deactivate and remove the Spreadr Woocommerce plugin until a fixed version is confirmed available.
- Restore deleted content from recent backups if exploitation is suspected.
- Restrict access to /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php and plugin REST routes via WAF rules pending remediation.
Patch Information
As of the NVD entry, no fixed version beyond 1.0.4 is listed. Monitor the Patchstack Vulnerability Report and the WordPress plugin repository for updates from the vendor.
Workarounds
- Disable the plugin in the WordPress admin or by renaming its directory under wp-content/plugins/.
- Deploy a web application firewall rule blocking unauthenticated requests to Spreadr plugin AJAX and REST endpoints.
- Enforce least-privilege database accounts so the WordPress user cannot delete records outside required tables, limiting blast radius.
- Maintain offsite backups with point-in-time recovery to enable rapid restoration of deleted content.
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
