BuddyPress <= 7.2.1 - Missing Authorization to Group Creation

2021-04-14 00:00
Kien Hoang

Strategic Overview

Status
Patched in 7.3.0
Affected Plugin
BuddyPress
Affected Version
<= 7.2.1
CVSS
5.4Medium
Weakness type
CWE-863 · Incorrect Authorization
CVE
CVE pending
View all BuddyPress vulnerabilities

At a glance

This record tracks a medium-severity Incorrect Authorization vulnerability in the BuddyPress WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 7.2.1. It carries a CVSS score of 5.4 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity). The root cause is a missing authorization check on a reachable function. 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 in versions up to, and including, 7.2.1. This is due to missing authorization validation on the group membership REST-API Endpoint. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers to create new groups on behalf of another user.

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.

CWE-863: Incorrect Authorization

Reaching this weakness in BuddyPress <= 7.2.1 takes a caller who can reach the endpoint. Incorrect authorization means a permission check exists but evaluates the wrong thing, so it passes for callers it was meant to stop.

The action runs for users the code intended to exclude, with the same effect as having no check at all. 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/15b4b132-1e27-454d-9ba0-9d1a552e1844

Related records

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