A security vulnerability has been discovered in Fluent Forms, a popular WordPress plugin with over 400,000 active installations. This vulnerability, designated as CVE-2024-2771, enables unauthenticated attackers to grant themselves or others administrative access to the plugin, potentially leading to website defacement, data theft, and disruption of website operations.
Summary:
- Vulnerability: Missing Authorization to Settings Update and Limited Privilege Escalation
- Software: Fluent Forms
- Affected Versions: Up to version 5.1.16
- Impact: Unauthorized access, website defacement, data theft, disruption of website operations
This critical flaw (CVSS 9.8) allows attackers to manipulate settings and data without authentication, posing a significant risk to websites using the plugin.
Mitigation Steps:
- Update Software: Immediately update Fluent Forms to version 5.1.17 or later.
- Regular Backups: Regularly back up your website data.
- Strong Password Policies: Implement strong password policies.
- Web Application Firewalls (WAFs): Use WAFs to protect against common attacks.
- Monitor Activity: Monitor your website for suspicious activity.
