CVE-2024-43222 (CVSS 9.8): Critical Flaw in Sweet Date WordPress Theme Exposes Thousands of Sites to Potential Takeovers

by do son ·

CVE-2024-43222

A critical vulnerability (CVE-2024-43222) has been identified in the Sweet Date WordPress theme, a popular premium theme with nearly 10,000 sales. This vulnerability carries a CVSS score of 9.8, indicating its high severity and potential for significant impact.

Vulnerability Details

The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and authorization checks within the theme’s codebase. Specifically, the code responsible for handling user input related to the wp_ajax_fb_initialize action lacks sufficient security measures. This oversight allows unauthenticated attackers to manipulate the functionality and escalate their privileges, ultimately leading to complete website takeover.

Exploitation and Impact

Exploitation of this vulnerability is relatively straightforward, requiring only a series of crafted HTTP requests. Successful exploitation grants attackers the ability to:

  • Compromise User Accounts: Attackers can reset passwords for any user account, including administrator accounts, gaining unauthorized access to the WordPress dashboard and sensitive user data.
  • Execute Arbitrary Code: With administrative access, attackers can execute malicious code on the server, potentially leading to data breaches, website defacement, or the installation of backdoors for persistent access.
  • Distribute Malware: Compromised websites can be leveraged to host and distribute malware, further amplifying the impact of the vulnerability.

Remediation Guidance

The developers of the Sweet Date theme have addressed this vulnerability in version 3.8.0. All users are strongly urged to update their theme to this version or later immediately.

Related Posts:

Tags: CVE-2024-43222Sweet DateSweet Date WordPress ThemeWordPress theme