📄 Description (English)
The Auto Post Scheduler plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Cross-Site Request Forgery in all versions up to, and including, 1.84. This is due to missing nonce validation on the 'aps_options_page' function. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to update settings and inject malicious web scripts via a forged request granted they can trick a site administrator into performing an action such as clicking on a link.
🤖 AI Executive Summary
The Auto Post Scheduler WordPress plugin (versions ≤1.84) contains a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability allowing unauthenticated attackers to modify plugin settings and inject malicious scripts if they trick administrators into clicking a malicious link. With no patch currently available and no active exploit in the wild, this represents a medium-risk vulnerability requiring immediate mitigation through alternative controls. Organizations using this plugin should prioritize disabling or replacing it until a security update is released.
📄 Description (Arabic)
🤖 AI Intelligence Analysis Analyzed: May 24, 2026 03:18
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia Impact Assessment
Saudi organizations operating WordPress-based websites, particularly in government digital services, banking portals, healthcare information systems, and e-commerce platforms, face elevated risk. Government agencies (under NCA oversight) and financial institutions (under SAMA regulation) using this plugin could experience unauthorized configuration changes, malware injection, and potential data exfiltration. The vulnerability is particularly concerning for organizations hosting customer-facing applications where script injection could lead to credential theft or malware distribution. Telecom and energy sector websites using WordPress are also at risk.
🏢 Affected Saudi Sectors
Government & Public Administration
Banking & Financial Services
Healthcare & Medical Services
E-commerce & Retail
Telecommunications
Energy & Utilities
Education
Media & Publishing
🎯 MITRE ATT&CK Techniques
T1548 - Abuse Elevation Control Mechanism (privilege escalation via admin settings)
T1189 - Drive-by Compromise (malicious script injection)
T1566.002 - Phishing: Spearphishing Link (social engineering to trick admin)
T1539 - Steal Web Session Cookie (potential session hijacking)
T1583.006 - Acquire Infrastructure: Web Services (hosting malicious content)
T1204.001 - User Execution: Malicious Link (admin clicking malicious link)
⚖️ Saudi Risk Score (AI)
6.2
/ 10.0
🔧 Remediation Steps (English)
IMMEDIATE ACTIONS:
1. Audit all WordPress installations to identify if Auto Post Scheduler plugin (v1.84 or earlier) is installed
2. If installed, immediately disable the plugin via WordPress admin panel or command line: wp plugin deactivate auto-post-scheduler
3. Remove the plugin entirely: wp plugin delete auto-post-scheduler
4. Review plugin settings and posts created in the last 30 days for unauthorized changes or malicious content
COMPENSATING CONTROLS (if plugin removal is not immediately feasible):
5. Restrict WordPress admin access to specific IP addresses via .htaccess or WAF rules
6. Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to block POST requests to wp-admin/admin.php?page=aps_options_page from external sources
7. Enable WordPress security headers (X-Frame-Options: SAMEORIGIN, X-Content-Type-Options: nosniff)
8. Enforce CSRF tokens on all admin forms using WordPress nonce verification
9. Implement Content Security Policy (CSP) headers to prevent inline script execution
10. Monitor WordPress admin logs for unauthorized settings modifications
DETECTION RULES:
- Monitor for POST requests to /wp-admin/admin.php?page=aps_options_page from non-admin users
- Alert on changes to Auto Post Scheduler settings without corresponding admin user session
- Search WordPress database for suspicious post content or metadata modifications
- Monitor for new admin users or privilege escalations coinciding with plugin activity
PATCHING STRATEGY:
11. Monitor the plugin's GitHub repository and WordPress.org plugin page for security updates
12. Plan migration to alternative scheduling plugins (e.g., Advanced Cron Manager, WP Crontrol) that have better security practices
13. Once patch is available, test in staging environment before production deployment
🔧 خطوات المعالجة (العربية)
الإجراءات الفورية:
1. تدقيق جميع تثبيتات WordPress لتحديد ما إذا كان مكون Auto Post Scheduler (الإصدار 1.84 أو أقدم) مثبتاً
2. إذا كان مثبتاً، قم بتعطيل المكون فوراً عبر لوحة WordPress الإدارية أو سطر الأوامر: wp plugin deactivate auto-post-scheduler
3. إزالة المكون بالكامل: wp plugin delete auto-post-scheduler
4. مراجعة إعدادات المكون والمنشورات المنشأة في آخر 30 يوماً للتحقق من التغييرات غير المصرح بها أو المحتوى الضار
الضوابط البديلة (إذا لم يكن من الممكن إزالة المكون فوراً):
5. تقييد الوصول إلى مسؤول WordPress لعناوين IP محددة عبر .htaccess أو قواعد WAF
6. تنفيذ قواعد جدار حماية تطبيقات الويب (WAF) لحظر طلبات POST إلى wp-admin/admin.php?page=aps_options_page من مصادر خارجية
7. تفعيل رؤوس أمان WordPress (X-Frame-Options: SAMEORIGIN, X-Content-Type-Options: nosniff)
8. فرض رموز CSRF على جميع نماذج المسؤول باستخدام التحقق من nonce في WordPress
9. تنفيذ رؤوس سياسة أمان المحتوى (CSP) لمنع تنفيذ النصوص البرمجية المضمنة
10. مراقبة سجلات مسؤول WordPress للتعديلات غير المصرح بها على الإعدادات
قواعد الكشف:
- مراقبة طلبات POST إلى /wp-admin/admin.php?page=aps_options_page من مستخدمين غير إداريين
- تنبيهات عند تغيير إعدادات Auto Post Scheduler بدون جلسة مستخدم إداري مقابلة
- البحث في قاعدة بيانات WordPress عن محتوى مريب أو تعديلات البيانات الوصفية
- مراقبة مستخدمي المسؤول الجدد أو تصعيد الامتيازات المتزامنة مع نشاط المكون
استراتيجية التصحيح:
11. مراقبة مستودع GitHub للمكون وصفحة المكون على WordPress.org للتحديثات الأمنية
12. التخطيط للهجرة إلى مكونات جدولة بديلة (مثل Advanced Cron Manager أو WP Crontrol) التي تتمتع بممارسات أمان أفضل
13. بمجرد توفر التصحيح، اختبره في بيئة التطوير قبل نشره في الإنتاج
📋 Regulatory Compliance Mapping
🟢 NCA ECC 2024
A.5.1.1 - Information Security Policies (security configuration management)
A.6.1.1 - Internal Organization (access control and authorization)
A.8.2.1 - User Access Management (authentication and authorization controls)
A.12.2.1 - Change Management (vulnerability and patch management)
A.12.6.1 - Management of Technical Vulnerabilities (timely patching and updates)
🔵 SAMA CSF
ID.AM-2 - Software Inventory (identify all WordPress plugins)
PR.AC-1 - Access Control Policy (restrict admin access)
PR.AC-4 - Access Control Implementation (enforce CSRF protections)
PR.DS-6 - Data Integrity (prevent unauthorized modifications)
DE.CM-1 - Detection and Analysis (monitor for CSRF attacks)
RS.RP-1 - Response Planning (incident response for compromised sites)
🟡 ISO 27001:2022
A.5.1.1 - Information Security Policies
A.6.1.1 - Organization of Information Security
A.8.1.1 - User Registration and De-registration
A.8.2.1 - User Access Provisioning
A.12.2.1 - Change Management
A.12.6.1 - Management of Technical Vulnerabilities
A.14.2.1 - Secure Development Policy
🟣 PCI DSS v4.0.1
Requirement 6.2 - Security patches and updates (if payment processing via WordPress)
Requirement 6.5.9 - Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) protection
Requirement 7.1 - Access Control (restrict admin access)
Requirement 11.2 - Vulnerability scanning (identify vulnerable plugins)
🔗 References & Sources 3
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https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/auto-post-scheduler/tags/1.84/auto-post-sche...
security@wordfence.com
https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/auto-post-scheduler/tags/1.84/auto-post-sche...
security@wordfence.com
https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/bd387fe3-ffc5-4981-93d7-2b0b1...
security@wordfence.com