CVE-2024-4135 is a vulnerability identified in the WP Latest Posts plugin for WordPress, developed by JoomUnited. The flaw exists in all versions up to and including 5.0.7 and stems from improper control over the generation of code, specifically arbitrary shortcode execution. The plugin fails to properly validate user-supplied input before passing it to WordPress's do_shortcode function, which processes shortcodes embedded in content. Because of this, an unauthenticated attacker can craft requests that execute arbitrary shortcodes on the affected WordPress site. This vulnerability is classified under CWE-94 (Improper Control of Generation of Code), indicating a code injection weakness. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 5.4 (medium severity), with an attack vector of network (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), requiring low privileges (PR:L), no user interaction (UI:N), unchanged scope (S:U), and impacts on confidentiality and integrity but not availability (C:L/I:L/A:N). Although no public exploits are known at this time, the vulnerability could be leveraged to execute malicious shortcodes that might disclose sensitive information or modify site content. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it does not require authentication or user interaction, making it accessible to remote attackers. However, the requirement for low privileges suggests that some form of limited access might be necessary, possibly via a misconfiguration or other weakness. The lack of a patch link indicates that a fix may not yet be publicly available, emphasizing the need for defensive measures. This vulnerability affects websites using the WP Latest Posts plugin, which is popular among WordPress users for displaying recent posts with customizable shortcodes.

The primary impact of CVE-2024-4135 is unauthorized execution of arbitrary shortcodes on vulnerable WordPress sites, which can lead to limited confidentiality and integrity breaches. Attackers could exploit this to disclose sensitive information, manipulate displayed content, or potentially execute further malicious code depending on the shortcodes available. While availability is not directly impacted, the integrity and confidentiality risks can undermine trust in affected websites and lead to reputational damage. Organizations relying on WP Latest Posts for content display may face defacement, data leakage, or indirect compromise if attackers chain this vulnerability with others. Since the exploit requires low privileges but no user interaction, it can be leveraged remotely with relative ease, increasing the attack surface. The absence of known exploits in the wild reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the potential for future attacks. Overall, this vulnerability poses a moderate risk to organizations with WordPress sites using this plugin, especially those with sensitive data or high traffic.

1. Monitor official JoomUnited channels and WordPress plugin repositories for a security patch and apply updates immediately once available. 2. Until a patch is released, restrict access to the plugin’s shortcode execution functionality by limiting permissions to trusted users only. 3. Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block suspicious requests attempting to exploit shortcode execution. 4. Disable or remove the WP Latest Posts plugin if it is not essential to reduce attack surface. 5. Employ input validation and sanitization mechanisms at the application level to prevent untrusted input from reaching do_shortcode calls. 6. Regularly audit WordPress user roles and permissions to ensure minimal privilege principles are enforced. 7. Monitor logs for unusual shortcode execution patterns or unauthorized access attempts. 8. Consider isolating WordPress instances or using containerization to limit potential lateral movement if exploited. 9. Educate site administrators about the risks of arbitrary shortcode execution and best practices for plugin management.