Hunk Companion - Missing Authorization (CVE-2024-11972)

CVE-2024-11972 is a critical vulnerability in the Hunk Companion WordPress plugin before version 1.9.0, where improper authorization on certain REST API endpoints allows unauthenticated attackers to install and activate arbitrary plugins from the WordPress.org repository. This flaw could be exploited to install vulnerable or malicious plugins, potentially leading to full site compromise, data theft, or further attacks on affected WordPress installations.

CrowdSec has been tracking this vulnerability and its exploits since 24th of September 2025.

Insights from the CrowdSec network reveal that the attackers trying to exploit CVE-2024-11972 are composed of a fairly even mix of opportunistic and targeted actors. Some attackers employ preliminary reconnaissance, while others use indiscriminate scanning. Telemetry from the CrowdSec network also shows that exploitation activity for CVE-2024-11972 remains steady week-over-week. Attack volumes are consistent with long-term trends, indicating sustained interest from threat actors. CVE-2024-11972 continues to be an active part of the threat landscape and will likely remain this way for the forseeable future.

Attackers exploit unauthenticated POST requests to the /wp-json/hc/v1/themehunk-import REST API endpoint, allowing arbitrary plugin installation and activation on vulnerable WordPress sites.