CVE-2024-13554 identifies a missing authorization vulnerability (CWE-862) in The Ultimate WordPress Toolkit – WP Extended plugin for WordPress, affecting all versions up to and including 3.0.13. The vulnerability arises because the reorder_route() function lacks proper capability checks, allowing unauthenticated attackers to reorder posts arbitrarily. This means an attacker does not need to log in or interact with the system to manipulate the order of posts displayed on a WordPress site using this plugin. The vulnerability impacts the integrity of the website’s content presentation but does not expose confidential data or disrupt availability. The CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.3 reflects a medium severity, with attack vector being network (remote), no privileges required, and no user interaction needed. The flaw is significant because post order can influence user perception, SEO, and content prioritization, potentially enabling attackers to promote malicious or misleading content by reordering posts. No patches or official fixes are currently linked, and no known exploits have been observed in the wild, but the vulnerability should be addressed promptly to prevent exploitation. The vulnerability was assigned and published by Wordfence and is publicly disclosed as of February 12, 2025.

The primary impact of this vulnerability is unauthorized modification of post order on affected WordPress sites, which can undermine content integrity and trustworthiness. Attackers can manipulate the sequence of posts to highlight malicious, misleading, or unwanted content, potentially damaging brand reputation and user experience. While it does not directly lead to data leakage or site downtime, the ability to alter content presentation without authorization can be leveraged in social engineering or misinformation campaigns. Organizations relying on this plugin for content management, especially those with high traffic or public-facing websites, may face reputational harm and user trust erosion. Additionally, attackers might combine this vulnerability with other exploits to facilitate broader attacks. Since no authentication is required, the attack surface is wide, increasing the risk for all sites using the vulnerable plugin versions.

To mitigate this vulnerability, organizations should first verify if they are using The Ultimate WordPress Toolkit – WP Extended plugin version 3.0.13 or earlier and upgrade to a patched version once available. In the absence of an official patch, administrators should implement custom capability checks on the reorder_route() function to ensure only authorized users can reorder posts. Restricting access to the reorder functionality via web application firewalls (WAFs) or IP whitelisting can reduce exposure. Monitoring logs for unusual reorder requests or patterns can help detect exploitation attempts. Additionally, consider disabling or removing the plugin if it is not essential. Regularly auditing WordPress plugins for security updates and following the principle of least privilege for user roles will further reduce risk. Finally, maintain backups and have an incident response plan to quickly restore integrity if unauthorized changes occur.