The Kognetiks Chatbot for WordPress plugin is a popular tool that provides an easy way to integrate dynamic chatbots into WordPress websites for enhanced user engagement and interaction. However, recent vulnerability reports have identified an issue in the plugin, which could allow malicious attackers to make unauthorized modifications to data.

Kognetiks Chatbot for WordPress Plugin Vulnerability

In all plugin versions up to and including 2.1.7, the update_assistant() function lacks a necessary capability check. This omission makes it possible for attackers with subscriber-level access and above to update the GTP assistant files, which could lead to unauthorized data modification and potentially malicious behavior.

According to the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) system, this vulnerability has been classified as CVE-2024-10531, and it poses a significant risk to any WordPress website using the affected Kognetiks Chatbot for WordPress plugin versions.

Here's a code snippet showing the issue in the vulnerable plugin

function update_assistant() {
    global $wpdb;
    $assistant_data = $_POST['assistant_data'];
    $assistant_id = $_POST['assistant_id'];
    $table_name = $wpdb->prefix . "kognetiks_chatbot_assistants";

    $wpdb->update($table_name, array("assistant_data" => $assistant_data), array("id" => $assistant_id));
}

As you can see in the code above, the update_assistant() function lacks a proper capability check, which allows subscriber-level users to make unauthorized data modifications.

In order to exploit this vulnerability, an attacker must

1. Register as a subscriber on a WordPress website with the Kognetiks Chatbot plugin versions up to 2.1.7 installed.
2. Send a crafted POST request containing malicious data to update GTP assistants, potentially causing unauthorized data modification or harmful behavior.

Update the Kognetiks Chatbot for WordPress plugin to the latest version (or a version above 2.1.7).

2. Limit the access and capability to update or modify GTP assistant files to trusted administrators only.

- CVE-2024-10531 Detail
- Kognetiks Chatbot for WordPress Plugin Homepage

Conclusion

The Kognetiks Chatbot for WordPress plugin is a widely used and valuable tool for website owners, but the data modification vulnerability in versions up to and including 2.1.7 presents a serious security risk. By updating the plugin to a version above 2.1.7 and carefully managing user access permissions, WordPress website administrators can protect their sites from potential threats related to the CVE-2024-10531 vulnerability.

Timeline

Published on: 11/13/2024 03:15:04 UTC
Last modified on: 11/18/2024 15:02:30 UTC