CVE-2024-1110 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting the Podlove Podcast Publisher plugin for WordPress, developed by eteubert. The vulnerability arises from a missing authorization check in the plugin's init() function across all versions up to and including 4.0.11. Specifically, the plugin fails to verify whether a user has the necessary capabilities before allowing the import of plugin settings. This flaw enables unauthenticated attackers to import settings into the plugin without any authentication or user interaction. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-862 (Missing Authorization), indicating that the system does not properly restrict access to sensitive functionality. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 5.3, reflecting a network attack vector with low attack complexity, no privileges required, and no user interaction needed. The impact is limited to integrity, as attackers can modify plugin settings but cannot directly affect confidentiality or availability. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no official patches or updates have been linked yet. This vulnerability is significant because WordPress plugins are widely used and often targeted, and unauthorized modification of plugin settings could lead to further compromise or misconfiguration of podcast publishing workflows.

For European organizations, especially those using WordPress for podcast publishing or content management, this vulnerability poses a risk of unauthorized configuration changes. While it does not directly expose sensitive data or cause denial of service, unauthorized setting imports could be leveraged to alter podcast content delivery, inject malicious payloads, or disrupt normal operations. Organizations relying on Podlove Podcast Publisher for media distribution may face reputational damage if attackers manipulate podcast feeds or metadata. Additionally, unauthorized changes could serve as a foothold for further attacks within the WordPress environment, potentially leading to privilege escalation or data tampering. Given the plugin's niche but growing use in media and broadcasting sectors, European media companies and digital content providers are particularly at risk. The vulnerability's ease of exploitation (no authentication or user interaction required) increases the likelihood of opportunistic attacks, especially in automated scanning scenarios.

Immediate mitigation steps include restricting access to the WordPress admin interface through IP whitelisting or VPNs to limit exposure. Administrators should monitor and audit plugin settings and import activities for suspicious changes. Until an official patch is released, consider disabling the Podlove Podcast Publisher plugin if it is not critical or replacing it with alternative podcast publishing solutions that have verified security. Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block unauthorized requests targeting the plugin's import functionality. Regularly update WordPress core and all plugins to the latest versions once patches addressing this vulnerability become available. Additionally, enforce the principle of least privilege for WordPress user roles to minimize potential damage from compromised accounts. Security teams should also conduct vulnerability scans and penetration tests focusing on plugin authorization mechanisms to detect similar weaknesses.