Unauthenticated Attackers Can Hijack 400K+ WordPress Sites via Fluent Forms Bug (CVE-2024-2771)
Fluent Forms, a popular WordPress plugin with over 400,000 active installations, has been found to contain multiple critical security vulnerabilities, leaving websites at risk of exploitation. The vulnerabilities, tracked as CVE-2024-4709, CVE-2024-2771, and CVE-2024-2782, range from cross-site scripting (XSS) to unauthorized access and privilege escalation, potentially allowing attackers to compromise websites and steal sensitive data.
Here’s a breakdown of the vulnerabilities:
- CVE-2024-4709: Authenticated Stored Cross-Site Scripting (CVSS 7.2) – This vulnerability allows attackers with contributor-level permissions or higher to inject malicious scripts into web pages, which can then be executed when users visit those pages.
- CVE-2024-2771: Missing Authorization to Settings Update and Limited Privilege Escalation (CVSS 9.8) – This critical flaw enables unauthenticated attackers to grant themselves or others administrative access to the Fluent Forms plugin, allowing them to manipulate settings and data.
- CVE-2024-2782: Missing Authorization to Setting Manipulation (CVSS 7.5) – This vulnerability allows unauthenticated attackers to modify all of the plugin’s settings, potentially disrupting website functionality or enabling further malicious activity.
Impact and Urgency
These vulnerabilities pose a significant risk to websites using the Fluent Forms plugin. Successful exploitation could lead to:
- Website defacement
- Data theft
- Unauthorized access to sensitive information
- Malicious code injection
- Disruption of website operations
Given the severity of these vulnerabilities and the widespread use of the Fluent Forms plugin, website owners are strongly urged to update to version 5.1.17 immediately. This patched version addresses all three vulnerabilities and mitigates the risk of exploitation.
Additional Recommendations
In addition to updating the plugin, website owners should consider the following security measures:
- Regularly back up your website data.
- Implement strong password policies.
- Use a web application firewall (WAF) to protect against common attacks.
- Monitor your website for suspicious activity.
