CVE-2021-24779

WP Debugging <= 2.10.2 - Unauthenticated Plugin Settings Update

2021-09-27 00:00

Strategic Overview

Status: Patched in 2.11.0
Affected Plugin: WP Debugging
Affected Version: <= 2.10.2
CVSS: 6.5Medium
Weakness type: CWE-862 · Missing Authorization
CVE: CVE-2021-24779

At a glance

CVE-2021-24779 is a medium-severity Missing Authorization vulnerability in the WP Debugging WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 2.10.2. It carries a CVSS score of 6.5 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity; high integrity impact). Exploitation requires no authentication. The issue is fixed in version 2.11.0; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed September 2021, reported by apple502j.

Vulnerability Overview

The WP Debugging WordPress plugin before 2.11.0 has its update_settings() function hooked to admin_init and is missing any authorisation and CSRF checks, as a result, the settings can be updated by unauthenticated users.

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. A successful exploit has high impact on integrity.

CWE-862: Missing Authorization

WP Debugging <= 2.10.2 carries this weakness at update_settings(), and reaching it takes no account at all. 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 WP Debugging the fix is 2.11.0: builds <= 2.10.2 are affected, anything from 2.11.0 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 2.11.0, or a newer patched version

How does WordSec protect against this?

This one needs no account at all, which puts it outside what login hardening can reach; WordSec's login security narrows the account-level paths around it, and the firewall is what inspects the request itself. None of that substitutes for the fix: WP Debugging 2.11.0 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

Login Security
Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-24779 https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/7c6aef41-e4f9-4494-a5fd-47f55973d1d9 https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-24779

Related records

Other vulnerabilities in WP Debugging

CVSS Vector

6.5

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N

Base

Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges RequiredNone
User InteractionRequired
ScopeUnchanged
ConfidentialityNone
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityNone

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