CVE-2021-24652 in Gutenberg Blocks for Post Grid Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 09/28/2021
The PostX – Gutenberg Blocks for Post Grid WordPress plugin before 2.4.10 performs incorrect checks before allowing any logged in user to perform some ajax based requests, allowing any user to modify, delete or add ultp_options values.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/02/2021
The CVE-2021-24652 vulnerability affects the PostX Gutenberg Blocks for Post Grid WordPress plugin, specifically versions prior to 2.4.10, presenting a critical access control flaw that undermines the security posture of affected WordPress installations. This vulnerability stems from inadequate validation mechanisms within the plugin's ajax request handling system, where the software fails to properly authenticate and authorize user actions before executing sensitive operations. The flaw allows any authenticated user, regardless of their role or permissions, to manipulate core plugin configuration settings through malicious ajax requests, effectively bypassing the intended security controls that should restrict such modifications to administrators or privileged users only.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability resides in the plugin's insufficient input validation and privilege escalation mechanisms within its ajax endpoints. When users submit ajax requests to modify ultp_options values, the plugin performs inadequate checks to verify whether the requesting user possesses the necessary administrative privileges. This misconfiguration creates a path for privilege escalation attacks where low-privilege users can leverage the vulnerable ajax handlers to alter plugin configurations, potentially leading to unauthorized modifications of core plugin settings, data corruption, or even complete compromise of the plugin's functionality. The vulnerability specifically targets the plugin's configuration management system, where the ultp_options values control essential plugin behaviors and settings that should only be accessible to authorized administrators.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple configuration changes, as it fundamentally compromises the integrity and availability of the affected WordPress environment. An attacker with access to any valid user account can exploit this flaw to modify plugin settings that may affect content display, user access controls, or other critical system behaviors. This vulnerability enables potential data manipulation, configuration poisoning, and could serve as a stepping stone for further attacks within the WordPress ecosystem. The implications are particularly severe in multi-user environments where different roles have distinct permission levels, as the vulnerability allows for unauthorized elevation of privileges and potential lateral movement within the affected system. Organizations using vulnerable versions of this plugin face significant risk of unauthorized modifications that could disrupt normal operations or provide attackers with persistent access to modify core plugin functionality.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2021-24652 should prioritize immediate patching of the affected plugin to version 2.4.10 or later, which contains the necessary security fixes to address the improper access control checks. System administrators should also implement additional monitoring of ajax request patterns and unusual configuration changes within the WordPress environment to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization in software systems, and can be mapped to ATT&CK technique T1078.004 for valid accounts, where attackers leverage legitimate user credentials to perform unauthorized actions. Organizations should conduct thorough security audits of all installed plugins to identify similar access control vulnerabilities, implement proper input validation for all ajax endpoints, and establish robust logging mechanisms to track configuration changes. Additionally, role-based access control should be enforced at multiple levels to ensure that only authorized administrators can modify critical plugin settings, and regular security assessments should be performed to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities in the WordPress plugin ecosystem.