CVE-2024-37484

Zephyr Project Manager <= 3.3.97 - Authenticated (Subscriber+) Privilege Escalation via User Meta Update

2024-07-04 00:00
shaman0x01

Strategic Overview

Status
Patched in 3.3.99
Affected Plugin
Zephyr Project Manager
Affected Version
<= 3.3.97
CVSS
8.8High
Weakness type
CWE-862 · Missing Authorization
CVE
CVE-2024-37484
View all Zephyr Project Manager vulnerabilities

At a glance

CVE-2024-37484 is a high-severity Missing Authorization vulnerability in the Zephyr Project Manager WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 3.3.97. It carries a CVSS score of 8.8 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity; high confidentiality, integrity, availability impact). Exploitation requires an authenticated account at Subscriber level or above. The issue is fixed in version 3.3.99; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed July 2024, reported by shaman0x01.

Vulnerability Overview

The Zephyr Project Manager plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to privilege escalation in all versions up to, and including, 3.3.97. This is due to the plugin not properly verifying user meta updated through the update_user_meta function. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with subscriber-level access and above, to update their user meta which can be leveraged to update their capabilities to gain administrator access.

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 Zephyr Project Manager <= 3.3.97 takes an account at Subscriber level or above. 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 Zephyr Project Manager the fix is 3.3.99: builds <= 3.3.97 are affected, anything from 3.3.99 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 3.3.99, 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: Zephyr Project Manager 3.3.99 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

  • Login Security
  • Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-37484https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/a6090c3d-e4ee-4c9d-9605-e18000f283c5https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-37484

Related records

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