CVE-2024-10728

PostX <= 4.1.16 - Missing Authorization to Arbitrary Plugin Installation/Activation

2024-11-15 00:00
Sean Murphy

Strategic Overview

Status
Patched in 4.1.17
Affected Plugin
Post Grid Gutenberg Blocks – PostX
Affected Version
<= 4.1.16
CVSS
8.8High
Weakness type
CWE-862 · Missing Authorization
CVE
CVE-2024-10728
View all Post Grid Gutenberg Blocks – PostX vulnerabilities

At a glance

CVE-2024-10728 is a high-severity Missing Authorization vulnerability in the Post Grid Gutenberg Blocks WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 4.1.16. It carries a CVSS score of 8.8 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity; high confidentiality, integrity, availability impact). The root cause is a missing authorization check on a reachable function. The issue is fixed in version 4.1.17; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed November 2024, reported by Sean Murphy.

Vulnerability Overview

The Post Grid Gutenberg Blocks and WordPress Blog Plugin – PostX plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized plugin installation/activation due to a missing capability check on the 'install_required_plugin_callback' function in all versions up to, and including, 4.1.16. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Subscriber-level access and above, to install and activate arbitrary plugins which can be leveraged to achieve remote code execution if another vulnerable plugin is installed and activated.

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

Post Grid Gutenberg Blocks <= 4.1.16 carries this weakness at install_required_plugin_callback, and reaching it 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 Post Grid Gutenberg Blocks the fix is 4.1.17: builds <= 4.1.16 are affected, anything from 4.1.17 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 4.1.17, 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: Post Grid Gutenberg Blocks 4.1.17 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

  • Login Security
  • Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-10728https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/076f36fb-c2fb-43e0-a027-1351d3995489https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-10728

Related records

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