A severe security vulnerability has been discovered in WPForms, one of WordPress’s most popular form builder plugins, potentially affecting over 6 million websites. The vulnerability enables attackers with basic subscriber-level access to manipulate payment systems, specifically allowing unauthorized refunds and subscription cancellations through Stripe payment processing.
Understanding the Technical Impact
The vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2024-11205, stems from a critical flaw in the wpforms_is_admin_ajax() access control function. Security researchers have identified that this implementation weakness allows unauthorized users to exploit administrative AJAX functions – specifically ajax_single_payment_refund() and ajax_single_payment_cancel() – designed for payment management operations. This access control bypass presents a significant risk to e-commerce operations and subscription-based business models.
Affected Versions and Exposure Analysis
The security flaw impacts WPForms versions ranging from 1.8.4 to 1.9.2.1. According to wordpress.org statistics, approximately 3 million websites currently run vulnerable versions of the plugin, representing roughly 50% of the total WPForms installation base. Awesome Motive, the plugin’s developer, has addressed the vulnerability by releasing version 1.9.2.2 with necessary security patches.
Discovery and Security Response
The vulnerability was identified through Wordfence’s bug bounty program by security researcher vullu164, who received a $2,376 bounty for the discovery. While no active exploitation attempts have been detected in the wild, the potential for abuse remains significant given the plugin’s widespread use and the sensitivity of payment processing systems.
Mitigation Steps and Best Practices
Website administrators running WPForms should implement the following security measures immediately:
– Update to WPForms version 1.9.2.2 immediately
– Audit recent payment transactions for suspicious activity
– Consider temporarily disabling the plugin if immediate updates aren’t possible
– Implement additional payment system monitoring
This security incident underscores the critical importance of maintaining regular update schedules for WordPress plugins, especially those handling sensitive payment operations. Organizations should implement comprehensive security monitoring systems and establish clear incident response procedures to address similar vulnerabilities promptly. Regular security audits and timely patch management remain fundamental to maintaining robust website security posture.
