dbcve.org
Geo ControllerWordPress extension · Infinitumform

CVE-2024-7381

MEDIUM · 5.3 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-09-05
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 8.6.9 or later.
See remediation →
62/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
The Geo Controller plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized shortcode execution due to missing authorization and capability checks on the ajax__shortcode_cache function in all versions up to, and including, 8.6.9. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary shortcodes available on the target site.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

The Geo Controller WordPress plugin has a missing authorization vulnerability in its ajax__shortcode_cache function, allowing unauthenticated attackers to execute any registered shortcode on the site. This occurs because the AJAX endpoint lacks capability checks and proper nonce verification.

MitigationUpdate the plugin to version 8.7.0 or later which includes proper authorization checks. Until then, consider disabling shortcode execution for unauthenticated users or restricting access to the vulnerable AJAX endpoint via server-side configuration.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Geo ControllerWordPress extension
Affected:<= 8.6.9

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
Low
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check the installed version of Geo Controller plugin
    Navigate to WordPress Admin > Plugins > Installed Plugins and locate 'Infinitumform Geo Controller' to view the installed version number. Alternatively, inspect the plugin's main PHP file (typically geo-controller.php or similar in wp-content/plugins/geo-controller/) and look for the 'Version' header comment.
    Affected if The installed version is 8.6.9 or lower.
  2. Identify if the AJAX endpoint is registered
    Search the plugin source files for 'ajax__shortcode_cache' to confirm the vulnerable function exists. This is typically found in the main plugin PHP file or an AJAX handler file. The presence of this function indicates the vulnerable code path exists.
    Affected if The function ajax__shortcode_cache is present in the plugin code.
  3. Verify if the AJAX action is accessible to unauthenticated users
    Check the plugin code for the wp_ajax_nopriv_ hook registration for the ajax__shortcode_cache action. Look for lines like 'add_action('wp_ajax_nopriv_ajax__shortcode_cache', ...)' or 'add_action('wp_ajax_ajax__shortcode_cache', ...)' without capability checks. The wp_ajax_nopriv_ hook specifically allows unauthenticated (not-logged-in) users to trigger the action.
    Affected if The AJAX action is hooked to wp_ajax_nopriv_ or is publicly accessible without a capability check.
  4. Test unauthenticated shortcode execution capability
    Make an HTTP POST request to /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php with action=ajax__shortcode_cache and a shortcode parameter (e.g., shortcode='[some-registered-shortcode]'). If the server returns a successful response executing the shortcode without requiring authentication, the vulnerability is present.
    Affected if The AJAX endpoint executes shortcodes for unauthenticated requests without returning an authorization error.

A user is affected if they have Geo Controller plugin version 8.6.9 or lower AND the ajax__shortcode_cache AJAX endpoint is accessible to unauthenticated users, allowing them to execute arbitrary shortcodes.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

From vendor data
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 8.6.9
Interim mitigation

Update the plugin to version 8.7.0 or later which includes proper authorization checks. Until then, consider disabling shortcode execution for unauthenticated users or restricting access to the vulnerable AJAX endpoint via server-side configuration.

Fix this in Geo Controller Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation3.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
9.0 hours of engineering $1,600
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2024-7381 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data