CVE-2024-9314

Rank Math SEO – AI SEO Tools to Dominate SEO Rankings <= 1.0.228 - Authenticated (Administrator+) PHP Object Injection

2024-10-04 00:00
Leo

Strategic Overview

Status
Patched in 1.0.229
Affected Version
<= 1.0.228
CVSS
7.2High
Weakness type
CWE-502 · Deserialization of Untrusted Data
CVE
CVE-2024-9314
View all Rank Math SEO – AI SEO Tools to Dominate SEO Rankings vulnerabilities

At a glance

CVE-2024-9314 is a high-severity Deserialization of Untrusted Data vulnerability in the Rank Math SEO WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 1.0.228. It carries a CVSS score of 7.2 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity; high confidentiality, integrity, availability impact). Exploitation requires an authenticated account at Administrator level or above. The issue is fixed in version 1.0.229; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed October 2024, reported by Leo.

Vulnerability Overview

The Rank Math SEO – AI SEO Tools to Dominate SEO Rankings plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to PHP Object Injection in all versions up to, and including, 1.0.228 via deserialization of untrusted input 'set_redirections' function. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Administrator-level access and above, to inject a PHP Object. No known POP chain is present in the vulnerable software. 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

Rank Math SEO <= 1.0.228 carries this weakness at set_redirections, and reaching it takes an account at Administrator 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 Rank Math SEO the fix is 1.0.229: builds <= 1.0.228 are affected, anything from 1.0.229 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 1.0.229, or a newer patched version

How does WordSec protect against this?

An attacker needs Administrator 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: Rank Math SEO 1.0.229 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

  • Firewall
  • Scanner
  • Alerts

External References

Related records

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