CVE-2024-13499
Published: 22 January 2025
Summary
CVE-2024-13499 is a high-severity Code Injection (CWE-94) vulnerability in Gamipress Gamipress. Its CVSS base score is 7.3 (High).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploit Public-Facing Application (T1190); ranked in the top 26.1% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
The strongest mitigations our analysis identified are NIST 800-53 RA-5 (Vulnerability Monitoring and Scanning) and SI-10 (Information Input Validation).
Deeper analysis
CVE-2024-13499 is an arbitrary shortcode execution vulnerability in the GamiPress – Gamification plugin for WordPress, affecting all versions up to and including 7.2.1. The issue resides in the gamipress_do_shortcode() function within the plugin's includes/functions.php file, where the software fails to properly validate a user-supplied value before passing it to WordPress's do_shortcode() function. This flaw, classified under CWE-94 (Improper Control of Generation of Code), enables attackers to inject and execute malicious shortcodes.
Unauthenticated attackers can exploit this vulnerability remotely over the network (AV:N) with low attack complexity (AC:L), no privileges required (PR:N), and no user interaction (UI:N), as indicated by its CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.3 (C:L/I:L/A:L/S:U). Exploitation allows execution of arbitrary shortcodes, which could result in limited impacts such as unauthorized data access, modification, or disruption depending on available shortcodes and site configuration.
References point to mitigation via patching, including WordPress plugins trac changeset 3226227, which addresses the issue in functions.php (notably around line 645), and a Wordfence threat intelligence advisory detailing the vulnerability. Security practitioners should update the GamiPress plugin beyond version 7.2.1 and review plugin usage on affected WordPress sites.
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2024-51633
Vulnerability details
The The GamiPress – Gamification plugin to reward points, achievements, badges & ranks in WordPress plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to arbitrary shortcode execution via gamipress_do_shortcode() function in all versions up to, and including, 7.2.1. This is due to the…
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software allowing users to execute an action that does not properly validate a value before running do_shortcode. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary shortcodes.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise TechniquesAI
Why these techniques?
Direct remote exploitation of unauthenticated arbitrary shortcode injection in public-facing WordPress plugin (CWE-94) maps to initial access via public application exploitation.
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI
Directly remediates the improper validation flaw in the gamipress_do_shortcode() function by requiring timely patching of the vulnerable GamiPress plugin versions up to 7.2.1.
Requires validation of user-supplied inputs before passing them to WordPress's do_shortcode(), directly preventing arbitrary shortcode execution as described in the CVE.
Enables detection of the CVE-2024-13499 vulnerability in installed GamiPress plugins through regular scanning, facilitating prompt remediation.