CVE-2024-8094 is a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability identified in the Ntz Antispam WordPress plugin, affecting versions through 2.0e. The vulnerability arises because the plugin lacks proper CSRF protections when updating its settings. Specifically, it does not implement any token or verification mechanism to ensure that requests to change configuration settings originate from legitimate, authenticated users intentionally performing those actions. As a result, an attacker can craft a malicious web request that, when visited by a logged-in WordPress administrator, causes the plugin's settings to be altered without the administrator's consent or knowledge. This can lead to unauthorized changes that may weaken the site's spam protection or introduce other malicious configurations. The vulnerability requires the victim to be authenticated as an admin and to interact with the attacker's crafted request (e.g., by visiting a malicious webpage). The CVSS 3.1 base score is 6.5 (medium severity), reflecting that the attack vector is network-based, with low attack complexity, no privileges required (beyond the victim being logged in), user interaction required, and the impact is limited to integrity (settings modification) without affecting confidentiality or availability. No known exploits are reported in the wild yet, and no patches are currently linked, indicating that mitigation may rely on manual intervention or plugin updates once available. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-352, a common web security weakness related to CSRF attacks.

For European organizations running WordPress sites with the Ntz Antispam plugin, this vulnerability poses a moderate risk. If exploited, attackers can alter spam protection settings, potentially disabling or weakening anti-spam defenses, which could lead to increased spam, phishing, or malware distribution through the affected site. This can degrade user trust, damage brand reputation, and increase the risk of further compromise via spam-based social engineering. Since the attack requires an authenticated admin user to visit a malicious site, the risk is higher in environments where administrators may be targeted with phishing or social engineering campaigns. For organizations handling sensitive or regulated data, unauthorized configuration changes could indirectly impact compliance with data protection regulations such as GDPR if the site is used as a vector for further attacks. However, the vulnerability does not directly expose confidential data or cause denial of service, limiting its impact to integrity concerns. The lack of known exploits reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the threat, especially as exploit code could emerge.

European organizations should take the following specific steps to mitigate this vulnerability: 1) Immediately audit WordPress sites for the presence of the Ntz Antispam plugin and identify affected versions (through 2.0e). 2) Restrict administrative access to trusted personnel and implement strong multi-factor authentication (MFA) to reduce the risk of compromised admin accounts being exploited via CSRF. 3) Educate administrators about phishing and social engineering risks to prevent inadvertent interaction with malicious links or sites. 4) Monitor plugin vendor channels and security advisories for patches or updates addressing this vulnerability and apply them promptly once available. 5) As an interim measure, consider disabling or removing the Ntz Antispam plugin if it cannot be updated, or implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block suspicious POST requests targeting plugin settings endpoints. 6) Review and harden WordPress security configurations, including limiting plugin installation and updates to trusted sources only. 7) Employ Content Security Policy (CSP) headers and SameSite cookie attributes to reduce CSRF attack surface where possible. These targeted actions go beyond generic advice by focusing on the specific plugin and attack vector involved.