CVE-2023-41671 in Abandoned Cart Lite for WooCommerce Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 12/13/2024
Missing Authorization vulnerability in Tyche Softwares Abandoned Cart Lite for WooCommerce allows Exploiting Incorrectly Configured Access Control Security Levels.This issue affects Abandoned Cart Lite for WooCommerce: from n/a through 5.16.1.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/13/2024
The CVE-2023-41671 vulnerability represents a critical missing authorization flaw within the Tyche Softwares Abandoned Cart Lite for WooCommerce plugin, a widely used e-commerce solution that helps online stores recover lost sales by sending automated reminder emails to customers who abandon their shopping carts. This vulnerability stems from incorrectly configured access control security levels that fail to properly validate user permissions before granting access to sensitive administrative functions. The issue exists across all versions of the plugin from the initial release through version 5.16.1, indicating a long-standing security gap that has affected numerous WooCommerce stores worldwide. The vulnerability specifically targets the plugin's administrative interfaces where users can manage abandoned cart recovery settings, email templates, and customer data, creating a pathway for unauthorized individuals to exploit the system's weak access controls.
The technical implementation of this flaw allows attackers to bypass the standard authentication mechanisms that should restrict access to administrative functions within the WooCommerce dashboard. When users attempt to access certain plugin features, the system fails to properly verify whether the requesting user possesses the necessary administrative privileges or authorization levels. This misconfiguration creates an authorization bypass scenario where any authenticated user, regardless of their role or permissions, can potentially access and manipulate sensitive plugin configurations. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and directly impacts the principle of least privilege, where users should only have access to resources necessary for their specific roles. According to CWE-285, this represents an incorrect authorization condition that allows unauthorized access to protected resources, while the ATT&CK framework categorizes this under privilege escalation techniques that leverage misconfigured access controls.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure, as it enables attackers to manipulate the abandoned cart recovery processes that are fundamental to e-commerce revenue optimization. An attacker with access to these administrative functions could modify email templates to include malicious links, adjust recovery timing settings to disrupt sales processes, or potentially access sensitive customer data stored within the plugin's database tables. The compromised system could also be used to send spam emails or manipulate customer recovery rates, directly affecting business operations and customer trust. Organizations using this plugin could face significant financial losses due to manipulated cart recovery processes, data breaches involving customer information, and potential regulatory compliance violations under data protection frameworks such as gdpr or ccpa. The vulnerability essentially transforms a legitimate business tool into a potential vector for malicious activity, undermining the security posture of affected WooCommerce stores.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-41671 should prioritize immediate plugin updates to version 5.16.2 or later, which contain the necessary patches to address the authorization bypass issue. System administrators should conduct thorough access control reviews to ensure that only authorized personnel maintain administrative privileges within the WooCommerce environment, implementing role-based access controls that strictly limit plugin functionality to appropriate user levels. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual access patterns or unauthorized attempts to access plugin administrative interfaces, while regular security audits should verify that all plugin components maintain proper authorization checks. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security layers such as web application firewalls that can detect and block attempts to exploit known authorization bypass vulnerabilities, and establish incident response procedures specifically designed to address access control breaches. The vulnerability highlights the critical importance of maintaining up-to-date security patches and conducting regular security assessments of third-party plugins that integrate with critical business systems.