CVE-2023-3076 in MStore API Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 07/10/2023
The MStore API WordPress plugin before 3.9.9 does not prevent visitors from creating user accounts with the role of their choice via their wholesale REST API endpoint. This is only exploitable if the site owner paid to access the plugin's pro features.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/27/2023
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-3076 affects the MStore API WordPress plugin version 3.9.8 and earlier, presenting a significant privilege escalation risk through improper access control mechanisms. This flaw exists within the plugin's wholesale REST API endpoint which is designed to facilitate wholesale business operations but inadvertently allows unauthorized users to manipulate user role assignments during account creation processes. The vulnerability specifically targets the plugin's pro features which require payment for access, making it a targeted issue for premium users who have purchased the enhanced functionality. The security flaw stems from inadequate validation and authorization checks within the REST API implementation, where the system fails to properly verify whether incoming requests originate from legitimate administrative sources or unauthorized visitors.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through the wholesale REST API endpoint that accepts user registration requests with role parameters. An attacker can craft malicious API requests that specify arbitrary user roles during the account creation process, potentially elevating their privileges to administrator or other high-privilege levels. This represents a classic case of insecure direct object reference vulnerability where the API endpoint does not properly validate the role parameter supplied by external requests. The flaw aligns with CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization issues in software systems, and demonstrates how REST API endpoints can become attack vectors when proper input sanitization and access control mechanisms are absent. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it allows for role manipulation without requiring authentication, as long as the attacker can access the wholesale REST API endpoint.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, potentially enabling complete system compromise and data exfiltration. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can create accounts with administrator privileges, thereby gaining full control over the WordPress installation including access to sensitive data, plugin configurations, and the ability to modify or delete content. The implications are further amplified because the vulnerability only requires access to the pro features, meaning that attackers who have purchased the premium plugin functionality can leverage this flaw to gain unauthorized access to systems they should not be able to control. This scenario represents a critical failure in the principle of least privilege where the system allows role manipulation that should be restricted to authenticated administrators only.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-3076 should prioritize immediate plugin updates to version 3.9.9 or later, which includes proper authorization checks and role validation mechanisms. System administrators should implement additional security measures including API endpoint monitoring and rate limiting to detect and prevent abuse of the wholesale REST API. The implementation of proper authentication tokens and request validation should be enforced at the API level to ensure that only authorized users can modify user roles through the REST interface. Organizations should also consider implementing network-level controls and web application firewalls to restrict access to sensitive API endpoints and monitor for suspicious activity patterns that may indicate exploitation attempts. This vulnerability highlights the importance of comprehensive security testing for premium plugin features and demonstrates how advanced functionality can introduce new attack surfaces if not properly secured against unauthorized access and privilege manipulation.