CVE-2024-23513 is a high-severity vulnerability classified under CWE-502, which involves the deserialization of untrusted data in the PropertyHive plugin, a WordPress plugin used for real estate listings management. This vulnerability affects versions up to 2.0.5 of PropertyHive. Deserialization vulnerabilities occur when untrusted input is deserialized by an application, potentially allowing attackers to manipulate the deserialization process to execute arbitrary code, escalate privileges, or cause denial of service. In this case, the vulnerability allows remote attackers to send specially crafted data to the PropertyHive plugin, which then deserializes this data without proper validation or sanitization. The CVSS v3.1 score of 8.7 indicates a high severity with the following vector: AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N. This means the attack can be performed remotely over the network without requiring user interaction or privileges, but it requires high attack complexity. The impact includes complete compromise of confidentiality and integrity of the affected system, with no impact on availability. The scope is changed, indicating that the vulnerability affects components beyond the vulnerable plugin itself, potentially impacting the entire WordPress environment or connected systems. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches have been linked yet, which suggests that organizations using PropertyHive should be vigilant and monitor for updates. The vulnerability is enriched by CISA, highlighting its importance and the need for mitigation.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2024-23513 can be significant, especially for those in the real estate sector or any business relying on PropertyHive for property listings and management. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive customer data, including personal and financial information, resulting in privacy breaches and regulatory non-compliance with GDPR. Integrity compromise could allow attackers to manipulate property listings, potentially causing reputational damage and financial loss. Since the vulnerability does not affect availability directly, service disruption may not be immediate, but the breach of confidentiality and integrity can have long-term operational and legal consequences. Additionally, exploitation could be used as a foothold for further attacks within the network, increasing the risk of lateral movement and broader compromise. European organizations must consider the potential for targeted attacks given the strategic value of real estate data and the increasing cyber threat landscape in the region.

Organizations using PropertyHive should immediately audit their installations to determine if they are running affected versions (up to 2.0.5). Although no official patches are currently linked, it is critical to monitor the vendor’s communications and apply updates as soon as they become available. In the meantime, restrict access to the WordPress admin and plugin endpoints by implementing network-level controls such as IP whitelisting or VPN access to reduce exposure. Employ Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block suspicious deserialization payloads targeting PropertyHive. Conduct regular security assessments and code reviews focusing on deserialization processes. Disable or limit plugin functionalities that accept serialized input if possible. Additionally, implement strict input validation and sanitization at the application level to prevent untrusted data from being deserialized. Maintain comprehensive logging and monitoring to detect anomalous activities indicative of exploitation attempts. Finally, ensure backups are current and tested to enable recovery in case of compromise.