CVE-2023-1524

Download Manager <= 3.2.70 - Insufficient Authorization to Information Disclosure

2023-05-08 00:00
Johan Kragt

Strategic Overview

Status
Patched in 3.2.71
Affected Plugin
Download Manager
Affected Version
<= 3.2.70
CVSS
4.3Medium
Weakness type
CWE-285 · Improper Authorization
CVE
CVE-2023-1524
View all Download Manager vulnerabilities

At a glance

CVE-2023-1524 is a medium-severity Improper Authorization vulnerability in the Download Manager WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 3.2.70. It carries a CVSS score of 4.3 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity). The issue is fixed in version 3.2.71; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed May 2023, reported by Johan Kragt.

Vulnerability Overview

The Download Manager plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to information disclosure in versions up to, and including, 3.2.7.0, due to insufficient validation of passwords on password protected files. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with access to the downloads area to create a password protected post which returns a master key, and then subsequently use that master key and original password to access any other password protected post.

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-285: Improper Authorization

Reaching this weakness in Download Manager <= 3.2.70 takes a caller who can reach the endpoint. Improper authorization means a permission check exists but does not cover the case being exercised, so a caller who is allowed to do one thing is allowed to do a neighbouring thing as well.

A lower-privileged account performs an action reserved for a higher one, which on a multi-author or membership site means an ordinary user reaching administrative behaviour. For Download Manager the fix is 3.2.71: builds <= 3.2.70 are affected, anything from 3.2.71 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 3.2.71, 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: Download Manager 3.2.71 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

  • Login Security
  • Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-1524https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/b48bc632-c825-48e0-8766-3ac59e5b87c6https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-1524

Related records

Vulnerability data © Defiant, Inc., provided under the Wordfence Intelligence T&C