Strategic Overview
- Status
- Patched in 5.4.0
- Affected Plugin
- K Elements
- Affected Version
<= 5.3.9- CVSS
- 9.8Critical
- Weakness type
- CWE-266 · Incorrect Privilege Assignment
- CVE
CVE-2024-56000
At a glance
CVE-2024-56000 is a critical-severity Incorrect Privilege Assignment vulnerability in the K Elements WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 5.3.9. 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 5.4.0; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed February 2025, reported by Rafie Muhammad.
Vulnerability Overview
The K Elements plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to authentication bypass in all versions up to, and including, 5.3.9. This is due to the kleo_fb_intialize() function not having sufficient identity verification prior to authenticating a user. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to log in as arbitrary users, granted they have access to their email.
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-266: Incorrect Privilege Assignment
A product incorrectly assigns a privilege to a particular actor, creating an unintended sphere of control for that actor.
Remediation
Update to version 5.4.0, 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: K Elements 5.4.0 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.
- Login Security
- Alerts
External References
Related records
Other vulnerabilities in K Elements
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