CVE-2024-22304 is a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability identified in the Borbis Media FreshMail plugin for WordPress, affecting versions up to and including 2.3.2. CSRF vulnerabilities occur when an attacker tricks an authenticated user into submitting a forged request to a web application, causing the application to perform unwanted actions on behalf of the user without their consent. In this case, the vulnerability allows remote attackers to induce users with legitimate access to the WordPress FreshMail plugin to execute unintended actions. The CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.4 (medium severity) reflects that the attack vector is network-based (AV:N), requires no privileges (PR:N), but does require user interaction (UI:R). The impact affects integrity and availability (I:L, A:L) but not confidentiality (C:N). Exploitation could lead to unauthorized changes in plugin settings or operations, potentially disrupting email marketing campaigns or causing denial of service conditions within the plugin’s functionality. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches have been linked yet, indicating that mitigation may require vendor updates or manual intervention. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-352, which is a common web security weakness related to insufficient request validation to prevent CSRF attacks.

For European organizations using the FreshMail WordPress plugin, this vulnerability could lead to unauthorized manipulation of email marketing configurations or disruption of campaign delivery, impacting business communications and customer engagement. While it does not directly expose sensitive data, the integrity and availability of marketing operations could be compromised, potentially leading to reputational damage or loss of customer trust. Organizations relying heavily on automated email campaigns for sales, support, or notifications may experience operational interruptions. Additionally, if attackers leverage this vulnerability in conjunction with other weaknesses, it could serve as a foothold for broader attacks within the WordPress environment. Given the widespread use of WordPress across Europe, the risk is non-negligible, especially for SMEs and enterprises that have not implemented strict security controls around plugin management and user session handling.

To mitigate this CSRF vulnerability, European organizations should immediately review and restrict user permissions for the FreshMail plugin, ensuring only trusted administrators have access. Implementing Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) with CSRF protection rules can help detect and block suspicious requests. Organizations should monitor for updates from Borbis Media and apply patches as soon as they become available. In the interim, disabling the FreshMail plugin or limiting its functionality may be necessary to reduce risk. Additionally, enforcing multi-factor authentication (MFA) for WordPress admin accounts can reduce the likelihood of successful exploitation. Security teams should audit logs for unusual activity related to the plugin and educate users about the risks of clicking on unsolicited links while authenticated. Finally, adopting security headers such as SameSite cookies can help mitigate CSRF risks at the browser level.