Profile Builder <= 2.4.0 - Privilege Escalation

2016-07-07 00:00
Panagiotis Vagenas

Strategic Overview

Status
Patched in 2.4.1
Affected Plugin
User Profile Builder – Beautiful User Registration Forms, User Profiles & User Role Editor
Affected Version
< 2.4.1
CVSS
8.8High
Weakness type
CWE-862 · Missing Authorization
CVE
CVE pending
View all User Profile Builder – Beautiful User Registration Forms, User Profiles & User Role Editor vulnerabilities

At a glance

This record tracks a high-severity Missing Authorization vulnerability in the User Profile Builder WordPress plugin, affecting versions < 2.4.1. 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 2.4.1; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed July 2016, reported by Panagiotis Vagenas.

Vulnerability Overview

The Profile Builder plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Privilege Escalation in versions up to, and including, 2.4.0. This makes it possible for subscriber-level attackers to elevate user roles to administrative levels, giving them full control of the website. This vulnerability only impacts websites that have registration enabled, but given that the plugin functionality is directly related to registration it is likely that the majority of websites with the plugin installed are effected.

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-862: Missing Authorization

Reaching this weakness in User Profile Builder < 2.4.1 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 User Profile Builder the fix is 2.4.1: builds < 2.4.1 are affected, anything from 2.4.1 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 2.4.1, 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: User Profile Builder 2.4.1 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/2caed42f-fb5b-488a-af15-f5ad3d82a68c

Related records

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