CVE-2024-3406 identifies a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the WP Prayer WordPress plugin, versions through 2.0.9. The vulnerability stems from the absence of CSRF token validation or similar anti-CSRF mechanisms when administrators update email settings within the plugin. This security lapse means that an attacker can craft a malicious web request that, when visited by an authenticated admin user, triggers unauthorized changes to the plugin’s email configuration without the admin’s consent. The attack vector requires the victim to be logged in with administrative privileges and to interact with a malicious webpage or link, which then silently executes the unauthorized request. The impact is severe because email settings often control critical communication channels, and unauthorized changes can lead to interception or redirection of sensitive emails, enabling phishing, data leakage, or further compromise of the WordPress environment. The CVSS 3.1 score of 8.8 reflects the vulnerability’s network attack vector, low attack complexity, no privileges required beyond admin login, and high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Although no known exploits are currently in the wild, the vulnerability is publicly disclosed and should be considered a significant risk. The lack of a patch link suggests that a fix may not yet be available, increasing the urgency for temporary mitigations. The vulnerability is cataloged under CWE-352, a common web security weakness related to CSRF attacks. Organizations using WP Prayer should audit their installations, restrict administrative access, and consider deploying web application firewalls or other CSRF protections until an official patch is released.

For European organizations, the impact of CVE-2024-3406 can be substantial, especially for those relying on WordPress sites with the WP Prayer plugin installed. Unauthorized changes to email settings can lead to interception or redirection of sensitive communications, potentially exposing confidential data or enabling phishing campaigns targeting employees or customers. This can damage organizational reputation, lead to regulatory non-compliance (e.g., GDPR breaches), and cause operational disruptions if email-based workflows are compromised. The vulnerability’s exploitation could also serve as a foothold for further attacks within the network, escalating privileges or deploying malware. Small and medium enterprises, charities, and religious organizations using WP Prayer are particularly vulnerable due to limited cybersecurity resources. The high CVSS score indicates that the vulnerability is easy to exploit remotely without requiring complex conditions, increasing the likelihood of targeted or opportunistic attacks within Europe. The absence of known exploits in the wild currently reduces immediate risk but should not lead to complacency, as attackers often develop exploits quickly after public disclosure.

1. Immediately audit all WordPress installations for the presence of the WP Prayer plugin and identify versions up to 2.0.9. 2. Restrict administrative access to trusted personnel only and enforce strong authentication mechanisms such as MFA to reduce the risk of compromised admin accounts. 3. Deploy a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with rules to detect and block CSRF attack patterns or anomalous POST requests targeting the plugin’s email settings endpoints. 4. Educate administrators to avoid clicking on suspicious links or visiting untrusted websites while logged into the WordPress admin panel. 5. Monitor WordPress logs and email configuration changes for unusual activity indicative of exploitation attempts. 6. If possible, temporarily disable the plugin or restrict its functionality until an official patch is released. 7. Follow WPScan and the plugin vendor’s channels closely for updates or patches and apply them promptly once available. 8. Consider implementing custom CSRF tokens or nonce verification in the plugin code if immediate patching is not feasible, leveraging WordPress’s built-in nonce functions. 9. Regularly back up WordPress configurations and databases to enable quick recovery in case of compromise. 10. Review and harden overall WordPress security posture, including plugin and theme management, to reduce attack surface.