WP Post Author <= 3.2.3 - Privilege Escalation

2023-06-28 00:00
Anonymous

Strategic Overview

Status
Patched in 3.3.0
Affected Plugin
WP Post Author – Author Box, Multiple Authors, Guest Authors & Custom Avatars
Affected Version
<= 3.2.3
CVSS
9.8Critical
Weakness type
CWE-269 · Improper Privilege Management
CVE
CVE pending
View all WP Post Author – Author Box, Multiple Authors, Guest Authors & Custom Avatars vulnerabilities

At a glance

This record tracks a critical-severity Improper Privilege Management vulnerability in the WP Post Author WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 3.2.3. 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 3.3.0; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed June 2023.

Vulnerability Overview

The WP Post Author plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to privilege escalation in versions up to, and including, 3.2.3. This is due to insufficient controls on the /set-user-data REST API endpoint. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers to set their user role to administrator and gain complete access to the site. Attackers can easily obtain authenticated access using the /v1/frontend/register-user REST API endpoint, even when registration is disabled on the site.

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-269: Improper Privilege Management

Reaching this weakness in WP Post Author <= 3.2.3 takes a caller who can reach the endpoint. Improper privilege management means the code lets an account end up with capabilities its role should not have.

It converts a low-privileged account into an administrative one, which makes every other restriction on the site irrelevant. For WP Post Author the fix is 3.3.0: builds <= 3.2.3 are affected, anything from 3.3.0 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 3.3.0, 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: WP Post Author 3.3.0 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/155e3de1-e115-4683-bb4d-a0c5667dc3d3

Related records

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