CVE-2024-8050 is a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability identified in the WordPress plugin 'Custom Author Base' up to version 1.1.1. This vulnerability arises because the plugin lacks proper CSRF protections when updating its settings. Specifically, when an authenticated administrator user accesses the WordPress admin interface, an attacker could craft a malicious web request that, if the admin visits a specially crafted webpage, causes the admin's browser to unknowingly submit unauthorized changes to the plugin's configuration. The absence of CSRF tokens or other anti-CSRF mechanisms means the plugin does not verify that the request to update settings originates from a legitimate source, allowing attackers to exploit the trust relationship between the admin's browser and the WordPress site. The vulnerability does not allow direct compromise of confidentiality or availability but can lead to unauthorized modification of plugin settings, potentially altering site behavior or security posture. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 4.3 (medium severity), reflecting that exploitation requires user interaction (the admin must visit a malicious page), no privileges are required to initiate the attack, and the impact is limited to integrity (unauthorized changes) without affecting confidentiality or availability. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches have been linked yet. The plugin's vendor is unknown, which may complicate timely remediation. This vulnerability is classified under CWE-352, a common web application security weakness related to CSRF attacks.

For European organizations using the Custom Author Base WordPress plugin, this vulnerability poses a moderate risk primarily to the integrity of their website configurations. An attacker exploiting this flaw could modify plugin settings without authorization, potentially enabling further attacks or disrupting site functionality. While the vulnerability does not directly expose sensitive data or cause denial of service, unauthorized configuration changes could weaken site security, misdirect users, or degrade trust in the organization's web presence. Given that WordPress is widely used across Europe for corporate, governmental, and non-profit websites, any compromise of administrative settings can have reputational and operational consequences. Organizations with high-value or public-facing WordPress sites should be particularly cautious, as attackers might leverage this vulnerability as part of a broader attack chain. The requirement for an authenticated admin user to visit a malicious page means internal users must be educated about phishing and social engineering risks. The lack of vendor information and absence of patches may delay mitigation, increasing exposure time.

European organizations should take immediate steps to mitigate this vulnerability beyond generic advice: 1) Restrict administrative access to trusted networks or VPNs to reduce exposure to CSRF attacks initiated from external sources. 2) Implement Content Security Policy (CSP) headers that restrict the domains from which scripts and forms can be submitted, limiting the ability of attackers to craft malicious requests. 3) Educate administrators on the risks of clicking unknown links or visiting untrusted websites while logged into the WordPress admin interface. 4) Monitor and audit plugin settings for unauthorized changes regularly to detect exploitation attempts early. 5) Consider temporarily disabling or replacing the Custom Author Base plugin until a vendor patch or update is available. 6) Employ Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block suspicious POST requests targeting plugin settings endpoints. 7) Use multi-factor authentication (MFA) for admin accounts to reduce the risk of credential compromise that could facilitate exploitation. 8) Stay informed via trusted vulnerability databases and WordPress security advisories for any forthcoming patches or vendor communications.