CVE-2024-11283 is an authentication bypass vulnerability identified in the WP JobHunt plugin for WordPress, affecting all versions up to and including 7.1. The vulnerability stems from improper verification in the wp_ajax_google_api_login_callback function, which is responsible for handling Google API login callbacks. This function fails to adequately confirm the identity of users before authenticating them, allowing unauthenticated attackers to bypass authentication controls. As a result, attackers can gain unauthorized access to arbitrary candidate accounts, potentially exposing sensitive personal and professional information stored within these accounts. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-289 (Authentication Bypass by Alternate Name), indicating a failure in enforcing proper authentication mechanisms. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.5, with vector AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N, indicating that the vulnerability is remotely exploitable over the network without any privileges or user interaction, impacts confidentiality significantly, but does not affect integrity or availability. No patches or fixes have been linked yet, and no known exploits have been reported in the wild as of the publication date. However, the vulnerability poses a significant risk to websites using WP JobHunt, especially those handling sensitive candidate data. The flaw could be exploited by attackers to impersonate legitimate users and access private candidate information, potentially leading to privacy violations, data leakage, and reputational damage for affected organizations.

The primary impact of CVE-2024-11283 is unauthorized access to candidate accounts within WP JobHunt-powered websites. This compromises the confidentiality of sensitive personal and professional information, including resumes, contact details, and application history. While the vulnerability does not affect data integrity or availability, the exposure of confidential candidate data can lead to privacy violations, identity theft, and targeted phishing attacks. Organizations operating job portals or recruitment platforms using WP JobHunt are at risk of data breaches that could damage their reputation and erode user trust. Additionally, attackers could leverage the unauthorized access to gather intelligence for further attacks or social engineering campaigns. The ease of exploitation without authentication or user interaction increases the likelihood of automated attacks, potentially affecting a large number of candidate accounts. This vulnerability could also have regulatory compliance implications, especially under data protection laws such as GDPR, HIPAA, or CCPA, depending on the nature of the data exposed and the jurisdictions involved.

1. Immediate mitigation involves disabling the WP JobHunt plugin or restricting access to the vulnerable wp_ajax_google_api_login_callback function via web application firewall (WAF) rules or server-level access controls until a patch is available. 2. Monitor official WP JobHunt plugin channels and WordPress security advisories for updates or patches addressing CVE-2024-11283 and apply them promptly once released. 3. Implement strict access controls and multi-factor authentication (MFA) on WordPress admin and user accounts to reduce the risk of lateral movement if unauthorized access occurs. 4. Conduct regular audits of candidate account activity and logs to detect suspicious login attempts or unauthorized access patterns. 5. Employ network-level protections such as rate limiting and IP reputation filtering to mitigate automated exploitation attempts. 6. Educate users and administrators about the vulnerability and encourage prompt reporting of unusual account behavior. 7. Consider isolating sensitive candidate data storage and applying encryption at rest and in transit to minimize data exposure in case of unauthorized access. 8. Review and harden the overall WordPress installation and plugin ecosystem to reduce attack surface and prevent similar vulnerabilities.