Hide Links <= 1.4.2 - Unauthenticated Shortcode Execution
Strategic Overview
- Status
- Unpatched
- Affected Plugin
- Hide Links
- Affected Version
<= 1.4.2- CVSS
- 5.3Medium
- Weakness type
- CWE-862 · Missing Authorization
- CVE
CVE-2024-9578
At a glance
CVE-2024-9578 is a medium-severity Missing Authorization vulnerability in the Hide Links WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 1.4.2. It carries a CVSS score of 5.3 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity). Exploitation requires no authentication. No fixed release has been reported yet; treat installations running this software as exposed. Disclosed November 2024, reported by Francesco Carlucci.
Vulnerability Overview
The Hide Links plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized shortcode execution due to do_shortcode being hooked through the comment_text filter in all versions up to and including 1.4.2. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary shortcodes available on the target site.
Technical Analysis
The vector marks this flaw as remotely reachable over the network, with low attack complexity — no special timing or configuration is needed, and no privileges on the target site, and no interaction from a victim user.
CWE-862: Missing Authorization
Reaching this weakness in Hide Links <= 1.4.2 takes no account at all. A missing authorization check means a function is reachable by anyone who can reach the endpoint, because the code never asks whether the caller is allowed to perform the action.
Any user who can reach the endpoint gets to run an action reserved for higher-privileged roles, from reading protected data to changing settings or content. No fixed build of this plugin is recorded for Hide Links yet, so installs running <= 1.4.2 stay exposed until the vendor ships one.
Remediation
No known patch available. Please review the vulnerability's details in depth and employ mitigations based on your organization's risk tolerance. It may be best to uninstall the affected software and find a replacement.
How does WordSec protect against this?
This one needs no account at all, which puts it outside what login hardening can reach; WordSec's login security narrows the account-level paths around it, and the firewall is what inspects the request itself. No patched version is recorded yet, which is the case where a filtering layer matters most, because there is nothing to update to.
- Login Security
- Alerts
External References
Vulnerability data © Defiant, Inc., provided under the Wordfence Intelligence T&C