CVE-2024-11205 is a missing authorization vulnerability (CWE-862) in the WPForms plugin for WordPress, specifically in versions from 1.8.4 up to and including 1.9.2.1. The root cause is the absence of a capability check in the 'wpforms_is_admin_page' function, which is intended to restrict access to administrative actions. Due to this flaw, authenticated users with minimal privileges (Subscriber role or higher) can perform unauthorized actions such as refunding payments and canceling subscriptions. This bypasses intended access controls and allows attackers to manipulate financial transactions managed through WPForms. The vulnerability does not require user interaction beyond authentication, and the attack surface is remote network-based. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 8.5, reflecting network attack vector, low attack complexity, privileges required at a low level, no user interaction, and a scope change with partial confidentiality loss and high integrity impact. No public exploits are currently known, but the vulnerability is publicly disclosed and should be considered exploitable. The plugin is widely used for contact forms, payment forms, and surveys, making this a significant risk for WordPress sites handling payments or subscriptions.

The vulnerability allows unauthorized modification of payment and subscription data, leading to potential financial losses, fraud, and disruption of business operations. Attackers with minimal privileges can refund payments or cancel subscriptions without authorization, undermining trust in the affected websites. This can result in revenue loss, customer dissatisfaction, and reputational damage. Since WPForms is a popular plugin used globally, the impact can be widespread, especially for e-commerce, membership, and subscription-based websites. The confidentiality of payment data may be partially compromised, and the integrity of financial transactions is severely affected. Availability is not impacted directly, but business continuity could be disrupted due to fraudulent activities. Organizations relying on WPForms for payment processing are at significant risk until the vulnerability is remediated.

1. Immediately update WPForms to a patched version once available from the vendor to ensure proper authorization checks are enforced. 2. Until an official patch is released, restrict Subscriber and other low-privilege roles from accessing WPForms administrative pages by implementing custom role-based access controls or using security plugins that can enforce capability restrictions. 3. Monitor logs for unusual refund or subscription cancellation activities originating from low-privilege accounts. 4. Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all WordPress user accounts to reduce the risk of compromised credentials being used to exploit this vulnerability. 5. Regularly audit user roles and permissions to ensure that only trusted users have elevated privileges. 6. Consider temporarily disabling payment and subscription management features in WPForms if feasible until the vulnerability is resolved. 7. Employ web application firewalls (WAFs) with rules tailored to detect and block suspicious WPForms administrative requests from unauthorized users. 8. Educate site administrators and users about the risk and encourage prompt application of security updates.