CVE-2018-20964 : Exploit Details and Defense Strategies

A Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability exists in versions of the contact-form-to-email plugin for WordPress prior to 1.2.66.

Understanding CVE-2018-20964

This CVE identifies a CSRF vulnerability in a specific WordPress plugin.

What is CVE-2018-20964?

The contact-form-to-email plugin for WordPress before version 1.2.66 is susceptible to CSRF attacks, allowing malicious actors to perform unauthorized actions on behalf of authenticated users.

The Impact of CVE-2018-20964

This vulnerability could lead to unauthorized actions being performed on the WordPress site, potentially compromising user data and site integrity.

Technical Details of CVE-2018-20964

The technical aspects of the vulnerability are as follows:

Vulnerability Description

The contact-form-to-email plugin for WordPress versions prior to 1.2.66 is affected by a CSRF vulnerability.

Affected Systems and Versions

Product: Not applicable
Vendor: Not applicable
Versions affected: All versions before 1.2.66

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by tricking authenticated users into visiting a malicious website that contains a crafted request to the vulnerable plugin.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protect your WordPress site from CVE-2018-20964 with the following measures:

Immediate Steps to Take

Update the contact-form-to-email plugin to version 1.2.66 or newer.
Implement CSRF protection mechanisms on your WordPress site.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly monitor and audit plugins for security vulnerabilities.
Educate users about the risks of CSRF attacks and safe browsing practices.

Patching and Updates

Stay informed about security updates for WordPress plugins and apply patches promptly to mitigate known vulnerabilities.