CVE-2023-46145 in Ultra Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 05/17/2024
Improper Privilege Management vulnerability in Themify Themify Ultra allows Privilege Escalation.This issue affects Themify Ultra: from n/a through 7.3.5.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/17/2024
The CVE-2023-46145 vulnerability represents a critical improper privilege management flaw within the Themify Ultra WordPress theme, specifically impacting versions ranging from an unspecified initial version through 7.3.5. This vulnerability falls under the broader category of privilege escalation issues that can severely compromise the security posture of WordPress installations. The flaw stems from inadequate access control mechanisms that fail to properly validate user permissions during critical operations within the theme's administrative interface. Such vulnerabilities are particularly dangerous as they can enable attackers to elevate their privileges from standard user roles to administrator level access, potentially leading to complete system compromise.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability lies in the theme's failure to enforce proper authorization checks when processing administrative requests. When users interact with specific theme functionalities, the system does not adequately verify whether the requesting user possesses sufficient privileges to perform the requested operations. This weakness creates a pathway for authenticated attackers to manipulate request parameters or exploit existing functionality to gain elevated access rights. The vulnerability's impact is amplified by the fact that it affects the core administrative components of the theme, which are typically accessed by users with elevated privileges. According to CWE classification, this issue maps to CWE-276, which specifically addresses improper privilege management, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078.1.001 for valid accounts, as attackers can leverage legitimate user credentials to exploit this weakness.
The operational impact of CVE-2023-46145 extends far beyond simple privilege escalation, as it fundamentally undermines the security model of WordPress installations using the affected theme. Once an attacker successfully exploits this vulnerability, they can modify theme settings, install malicious plugins, access sensitive data, and potentially establish persistent backdoors within the system. The compromised environment becomes vulnerable to further attacks including data exfiltration, lateral movement, and complete system takeover. Organizations relying on Themify Ultra for their WordPress deployments face significant risk exposure, as this vulnerability can be exploited by attackers with minimal technical expertise. The vulnerability's persistence across multiple versions indicates a fundamental flaw in the theme's security architecture that requires immediate attention and remediation.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-46145 must include immediate patching of the Themify Ultra theme to version 7.3.6 or later, as this represents the official fix provided by the vendor. System administrators should also implement additional security measures including regular security audits, monitoring for unauthorized administrative activities, and enforcing strict access controls through WordPress security plugins. The principle of least privilege should be strictly enforced, ensuring that users only possess the minimum permissions necessary for their roles. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block malicious requests attempting to exploit this vulnerability. Regular vulnerability scanning and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses in the broader WordPress ecosystem. According to industry best practices and NIST guidelines, immediate remediation is essential as this vulnerability can be exploited remotely and does not require special privileges beyond initial access to the WordPress admin interface.