CVE-2023-37999

HT Mega – Absolute Addons for Elementor <= 2.2.0 - Missing Authorization to Privilege Escalation

2023-07-07 00:00
Rafie Muhammad

Strategic Overview

Status
Patched in 2.2.1
Affected Plugin
HT Mega Addons for Elementor – Elementor Widgets & Template Builder
Affected Version
< 2.2.1
CVSS
9.8Critical
Weakness type
CWE-862 · Missing Authorization
CVE
CVE-2023-37999
View all HT Mega Addons for Elementor – Elementor Widgets & Template Builder vulnerabilities

At a glance

CVE-2023-37999 is a critical-severity Missing Authorization vulnerability in the HT Mega Addons for Elementor WordPress plugin, affecting versions < 2.2.1. It carries a CVSS score of 9.8 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity; high confidentiality, integrity, availability impact). Exploitation requires no authentication. The issue is fixed in version 2.2.1; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed July 2023, reported by Rafie Muhammad.

Vulnerability Overview

The HT Mega plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Missing Authorization in versions up to, and including, 2.2.0. This is due to missing validation of the reg_role parameter on the htmega_ajax_register function. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to create administrator accounts.

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 privileges on the target site, and no interaction from a victim user. A successful exploit has high impact on confidentiality, integrity, availability — full site compromise territory.

CWE-862: Missing Authorization

Reaching this weakness in HT Mega Addons for Elementor < 2.2.1 takes a caller who can reach the endpoint. A missing authorization check means a function is reachable by anyone who can reach the endpoint, because the code never asks whether the caller is allowed to perform the action.

Any user who can reach the endpoint gets to run an action reserved for higher-privileged roles, from reading protected data to changing settings or content. For HT Mega Addons for Elementor the fix is 2.2.1: builds < 2.2.1 are affected, anything from 2.2.1 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 2.2.1, 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: HT Mega Addons for Elementor 2.2.1 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

  • Login Security
  • Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-37999https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/46f3cc62-c2d8-45af-bb92-c2040789cbc0https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-37999

Related records

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