CVE-2024-56295 Overview
CVE-2024-56295 is a missing authorization vulnerability in the Ays Pro Poll Maker plugin for WordPress. The flaw affects all versions up to and including 5.5.6. Attackers can exploit incorrectly configured access control security levels to interact with plugin functionality that should require authorization. The weakness is tracked as [CWE-862]. Exploitation requires no authentication and no user interaction, as the attack vector is network-based. The impact includes limited integrity and availability loss on the affected WordPress site.
Critical Impact
Unauthenticated network attackers can bypass authorization controls in Poll Maker versions through 5.5.6, allowing manipulation of plugin data and functionality.
Affected Products
- Ays Pro Poll Maker plugin for WordPress (free edition)
- All versions from n/a through 5.5.6
- WordPress sites running the poll-maker plugin
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-01-15 - CVE-2024-56295 published to NVD
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2024-56295
Vulnerability Analysis
The Ays Pro Poll Maker plugin exposes functionality without enforcing proper authorization checks. The plugin fails to verify whether the requesting user has the necessary capability or role before executing privileged actions. This design flaw falls under broken access control, classified by MITRE as [CWE-862] Missing Authorization.
Attackers can send crafted HTTP requests directly to vulnerable endpoints exposed by the plugin. The endpoints do not validate the caller's authorization level. Successful exploitation results in low-impact modifications to integrity and availability but does not expose confidential data.
Further technical analysis is documented in the Patchstack Vulnerability Report.
Root Cause
The root cause is the absence of capability checks on plugin actions. WordPress plugins must use functions such as current_user_can() or verify nonces before executing state-changing operations. Poll Maker versions through 5.5.6 omit these checks on affected handlers, letting any network-reachable user invoke restricted logic.
Attack Vector
The attack vector is network-based and requires no privileges or user interaction. An attacker sends an HTTP request to the vulnerable WordPress endpoint registered by the poll-maker plugin. Because authorization is not enforced, the server processes the request and executes the restricted action. No verified public proof-of-concept is available at this time.
The vulnerability is described in prose only; no verified exploit code is published. Refer to the vendor advisory for additional technical context.
Detect Identity Attacks the Moment Authentication Fails
Singularity™ Identity surfaces credential misuse, lateral movement, and privilege escalation in real time, so you can contain the breach before it spreads.
Stop Identity AttacksDetection Methods for CVE-2024-56295
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected changes to poll content, poll results, or plugin settings within the WordPress administration panel
- Unauthenticated HTTP POST requests to admin-ajax.php referencing poll-maker action parameters
- Access log entries showing requests to Poll Maker endpoints from external IP addresses with no prior authentication session
Detection Strategies
- Review WordPress audit logs for plugin-related actions performed without a logged-in user session
- Compare installed Poll Maker version against 5.5.6 using plugin inventory tooling
- Correlate web server logs with WordPress authentication events to identify unauthorized state changes
Monitoring Recommendations
- Alert on anomalous POST traffic to /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php referencing Poll Maker action names
- Monitor plugin configuration files and database tables for unexpected modifications
- Track outbound anomalies and new administrative actions that follow unauthenticated requests to plugin endpoints
How to Mitigate CVE-2024-56295
Immediate Actions Required
- Inventory all WordPress installations and identify sites running the poll-maker plugin at version 5.5.6 or earlier
- Apply the vendor-released update to a version above 5.5.6 as soon as it is available
- Restrict access to the WordPress administration interface using IP allowlisting or a web application firewall rule
Patch Information
The vulnerability affects Poll Maker versions through 5.5.6. Administrators should upgrade to a fixed release as listed on the Patchstack Vulnerability Report. No vendor advisory URL beyond the Patchstack entry was listed in the CVE record.
Workarounds
- Deactivate and remove the Poll Maker plugin until a patched version is deployed
- Deploy a web application firewall rule blocking unauthenticated requests to Poll Maker AJAX actions
- Limit administrative endpoint access to known internal IP ranges where feasible
No configuration example is provided because the fix depends on vendor-released plugin updates rather than manual configuration changes.
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
