Calgary, Alberta, Canada
sales@hackhalt.com
Free Download Free Download Free Download
Explore Pricing Explore Pricing Explore Pricing

Blog

"Prevention is cheaper than a breach"

Home / Threats / CVE-2024-2172

CVE-2024-2172 - Malware Scanner Plugin

CVE-2024-2172

Vulnerability CVE-2024-2172 PLUGIN malware-scanner CRITICAL

The Malware Scanner plugin and the Web Application Firewall plugin for WordPress (both by MiniOrange) are vulnerable to privilege escalation due to a missing capability check on the mo_wpns_init() function in all versions up to, and including, 4.7.2 (for Malware Scanner) and 2.1.1 (for Web Application Firewall). This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to escalate their privileges to that of an administrator.

CVE-2024-2172

CRITICAL CVSS 9.8 Published 2024-03-13 Updated 2024-11-21
AI Risk Critical (100/100) Active Exploit: No strong signal Published Exploit: No public exploit references Priority: P1 Immediate
Severity Band CRITICAL
CVSS Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Affected Components 3
Reference Links 3
AI Risk Engine Critical (100/100)
Exploitability Very High
Active Exploitation No strong signal
Published Exploit Status No public exploit references

Threat Timeline

  1. 2024-03-13 CVE published and first recorded in the threat feed.
  2. 2024-11-21 Record updated with latest vulnerability metadata.
  3. 2026-04-09 AI technical context refreshed for mitigation and impact guidance.
  4. Now Monitoring for follow-up changes, linked references, and new related CVEs.

AI Context

Machine-generated threat intelligence

AI Updated 7 days ago

AI enriched 7 days ago (2026-04-09 07:49 UTC)

Technical Summary

The Malware Scanner plugin and the Web Application Firewall plugin for WordPress (both by MiniOrange) are vulnerable to privilege escalation due to a missing capability check on the mo_wpns_init() function in all versions up to, and including, 4.7.2 (for Malware Scanner) and 2.1.1 (for Web Application Firewall). This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to escalate their privileges to that of an administrator.

Potential Impact

Severity is CRITICAL (CVSS 9.8). Depending on deployment context, affected components may be exposed to unauthorized actions or data integrity risk.

Exploitability Assessment

Exploitability is assessed as Very High based on remote code execution potential, low-bar exploit prerequisites.

Primary risk drivers: remote code execution potential, low-bar exploit prerequisites

Mitigation Recommendations

Validate affected product versions, prioritize patching, and monitor references for vendor remediation guidance. If immediate patching is not possible, apply compensating controls and limit exposure of vulnerable surfaces.

Detection & Monitoring

Track authentication anomalies, unexpected file writes, and suspicious plugin API activity around affected components.

Business Impact Lens

Prioritize remediation where affected components process customer data, admin sessions, or Internet-exposed workflows.

Affected Products

Malware Scanner PLUGIN · malware-scanner Affected: <= 4.7.2 Fixed version not specified
Miniorange Malware Protection PLUGIN · miniorange-malware-protection Affected range not specified Fixed version not specified
web_application_firewall PLUGIN · web-application-firewall Affected: >= 0, <= 2.1.1 Fixed version not specified
Scroll to top