CVE-2024-13710 identifies a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the Estatebud – Properties & Listings plugin for WordPress, affecting all versions up to and including 5.5.0. The root cause is the absence or improper implementation of nonce validation on the estatebud_settings administrative page. Nonces in WordPress are security tokens used to verify that requests originate from legitimate users and not from malicious third parties. Without proper nonce checks, attackers can craft malicious URLs or forms that, when visited or submitted by an authenticated administrator, cause unintended changes to the plugin's settings. This vulnerability requires no prior authentication by the attacker but does require that an administrator user be tricked into clicking a malicious link or performing an action that submits the forged request. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 4.3, reflecting a medium severity level due to the lack of confidentiality or availability impact and the requirement for user interaction. The vulnerability could allow attackers to alter plugin configurations, which might lead to further security issues or site misconfigurations. No known public exploits have been reported yet, and no patches are linked in the provided data, indicating that users should monitor for updates from the vendor. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-352, which covers CSRF issues where state-changing requests lack proper anti-CSRF tokens.

The primary impact of this vulnerability is the unauthorized modification of plugin settings by attackers who can trick site administrators into performing actions on their behalf. While it does not directly expose sensitive data or cause denial of service, altering plugin settings can degrade site functionality, introduce misconfigurations, or open secondary attack vectors if the plugin controls critical features. For organizations relying on the Estatebud plugin to manage real estate listings, unauthorized changes could disrupt business operations, damage reputation, or facilitate further compromise if attackers manipulate settings to inject malicious content or weaken security controls. The requirement for administrator interaction limits the scope but does not eliminate risk, especially in environments where social engineering or phishing attacks are prevalent. Given WordPress's widespread use globally, the vulnerability could affect numerous websites, particularly those in real estate sectors or agencies using this plugin. The absence of known exploits reduces immediate risk but does not preclude future exploitation once details become widely known.

To mitigate this vulnerability, organizations should first verify if they are using the Estatebud – Properties & Listings plugin and identify the version in use. Until an official patch is released, administrators should exercise caution with unsolicited links and emails to avoid social engineering attacks that could trigger CSRF exploits. Implementing Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block suspicious requests targeting the estatebud_settings page can provide interim protection. Site administrators should also consider restricting administrative access to trusted networks or using multi-factor authentication to reduce the risk of compromised credentials being leveraged. Once a vendor patch is available, promptly update the plugin to a fixed version that correctly implements nonce validation. Additionally, developers or site maintainers can review and harden nonce usage in custom or third-party plugins to prevent similar CSRF issues. Regular security audits and user training on phishing awareness will further reduce the likelihood of successful exploitation.