BuddyPress <= 7.2.1 - Insufficient Privilege De-escalation

2021-04-14 00:00
Kien Hoang

Strategic Overview

Status
Patched in 7.3.0
Affected Plugin
BuddyPress
Affected Version
<= 7.2.1
CVSS
8.8High
Weakness type
CWE-284 · Improper Access Control
CVE
CVE pending
View all BuddyPress vulnerabilities

At a glance

This record tracks a high-severity Improper Access Control vulnerability in the BuddyPress WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 7.2.1. It carries a CVSS score of 8.8 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity; high confidentiality, integrity, availability impact). The issue is fixed in version 7.3.0; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed April 2021, reported by Kien Hoang.

Vulnerability Overview

The BuddyPress plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to authorization bypass due to a missing capability check on the can_user_delete_or_update( ) function from versions starting at 7.0.0 to 7.2.1. This makes it possible for recently demoted user to modify groups in which they were the original creator.

Technical Analysis

The vector marks this flaw as remotely reachable over the network, with low attack complexity — no special timing or configuration is needed, and no interaction from a victim user. A successful exploit has high impact on confidentiality, integrity, availability — full site compromise territory.

CWE-284: Improper Access Control

Reaching this weakness in BuddyPress <= 7.2.1 takes a caller who can reach the endpoint. Improper access control means the code decides what a caller may do using something other than their actual permissions, so the decision can be wrong without any check appearing to be missing.

Whoever can shape the request decides the answer, so the protected action runs for callers the code never meant to allow. For BuddyPress the fix is 7.3.0: builds <= 7.2.1 are affected, anything from 7.3.0 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 7.3.0, or a newer patched version

How does WordSec protect against this?

Because it turns on account access, WordSec's login security is the relevant layer: role-based two-factor, captcha and brute-force limits raise the cost of getting the account this needs. None of that substitutes for the fix: BuddyPress 7.3.0 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

  • Login Security
  • Alerts

External References

https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/3166549e-b52e-41e8-8b5c-1a1a0558c858

Related records

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