CVE-2024-3105 is a critical vulnerability classified under CWE-94 (Improper Control of Generation of Code) found in the Woody code snippets – Insert Header Footer Code, AdSense Ads plugin for WordPress. The vulnerability exists in all versions up to and including 2.5.0 and is due to the plugin's failure to restrict the use of the 'insert_php' shortcode to only highly privileged users. This shortcode allows insertion and execution of PHP code within WordPress posts or pages. Because the plugin permits users with contributor-level access or higher to use this shortcode without proper authorization checks, an attacker with such access can execute arbitrary PHP code remotely on the web server. This leads to remote code execution (RCE), enabling attackers to take full control of the affected server, potentially leading to data theft, website defacement, malware deployment, or pivoting to internal networks. The vulnerability has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.9, reflecting its critical nature with network attack vector, low attack complexity, privileges required at a low level, no user interaction needed, and scope change. Although no public exploits have been reported yet, the vulnerability's characteristics make it highly exploitable. The plugin is widely used in WordPress environments, which are prevalent globally, increasing the potential attack surface. The vulnerability was publicly disclosed on June 15, 2024, and no official patches have been linked yet, emphasizing the need for immediate mitigation steps.

The impact of CVE-2024-3105 is severe for organizations running WordPress sites with the vulnerable Woody code snippets plugin. Successful exploitation allows attackers with minimal privileges (contributor-level access) to execute arbitrary PHP code on the server, leading to full system compromise. This can result in unauthorized data access or exfiltration, defacement or destruction of website content, installation of backdoors or malware, and use of the compromised server as a pivot point for further attacks within the network. The vulnerability undermines confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected systems. Given WordPress's extensive use worldwide for business, e-commerce, and content delivery, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to organizations of all sizes. Attackers can exploit this flaw remotely without user interaction, increasing the likelihood of automated or targeted attacks. The lack of current known exploits does not diminish the threat due to the low complexity and high impact. Organizations failing to address this vulnerability risk reputational damage, financial loss, and regulatory penalties if sensitive data is compromised.

To mitigate CVE-2024-3105, organizations should immediately restrict or disable the 'insert_php' shortcode functionality if possible until an official patch is released. Administrators should audit user roles and permissions to ensure that only trusted users have contributor-level or higher access, minimizing the risk of malicious insiders or compromised accounts exploiting this vulnerability. Employing a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with custom rules to detect and block attempts to use the 'insert_php' shortcode can provide an additional layer of defense. Monitoring logs for unusual PHP execution or shortcode usage patterns can help detect exploitation attempts early. Organizations should keep WordPress core, plugins, and themes updated and subscribe to vendor security advisories for timely patch releases. If feasible, temporarily removing or replacing the vulnerable plugin with alternative solutions that do not allow PHP code injection is recommended. Implementing strict input validation and output encoding on user-generated content can reduce the risk of code injection vulnerabilities in general. Finally, enforcing multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all users with elevated privileges can reduce the risk of account compromise leading to exploitation.