Meta Tag Manager <= 3.0.2 - Authenticated (Subscriber+) PHP Object Injection
Strategic Overview
- Status
- Patched in 3.1
- Affected Plugin
- Meta Tag Manager
- Affected Version
<= 3.0.2- CVSS
- 8.8High
- Weakness type
- CWE-502 · Deserialization of Untrusted Data
- CVE
CVE-2024-1770
At a glance
CVE-2024-1770 is a high-severity Deserialization of Untrusted Data vulnerability in the Meta Tag Manager WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 3.0.2. It carries a CVSS score of 8.8 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity; high confidentiality, integrity, availability impact). Exploitation requires an authenticated account at Subscriber level or above. The issue is fixed in version 3.1; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed March 2024, reported by Francesco Carlucci.
Vulnerability Overview
The Meta Tag Manager plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to PHP Object Injection in all versions up to, and including, 3.0.2 via deserialization of untrusted input in the get_post_data function. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with contributor access or higher, to inject a PHP Object. No POP chain is present in the vulnerable plugin. If a POP chain is present via an additional plugin or theme installed on the target system, it could allow the attacker to delete arbitrary files, retrieve sensitive data, or execute code.
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 interaction from a victim user. A successful exploit has high impact on confidentiality, integrity, availability — full site compromise territory.
CWE-502: Deserialization of Untrusted Data
Reaching this weakness in Meta Tag Manager <= 3.0.2 takes an account at Subscriber level or above. Deserialization of untrusted data means the application reconstructs objects from input a caller controls, letting the attacker choose which classes get instantiated and what their properties hold.
A workable chain turns deserialization into file writes, deletions or code execution, depending on what the loaded classes do in their magic methods. For Meta Tag Manager the fix is 3.1: builds <= 3.0.2 are affected, anything from 3.1 onward is not.
Remediation
Update to version 3.1, or a newer patched version
How does WordSec protect against this?
An attacker needs Subscriber access first, so the firewall sees the attempt as traffic from a logged-in account: WordSec's web application firewall inspects request payloads before WordPress loads them. Classes like this one can leave something behind, so the staged malware scanner is the second half: it looks for dropped files and modified code rather than for the request that created them. None of that substitutes for the fix: Meta Tag Manager 3.1 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.
- Firewall
- Scanner
- Alerts
External References
Related records
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