CVE-2023-47770 in Betheme Theme
Summary
by MITRE • 06/19/2024
Missing Authorization vulnerability in Muffin Group Betheme.This issue affects Betheme: from n/a through 27.1.1.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/21/2024
The CVE-2023-47770 vulnerability represents a critical missing authorization flaw within the Betheme WordPress theme developed by Muffin Group. This weakness allows unauthorized users to perform administrative actions that should be restricted to authorized personnel only. The vulnerability exists across all versions of Betheme from the initial release through version 27.1.1, indicating a long-standing security gap that has remained unaddressed for an extended period. The issue fundamentally undermines the principle of least privilege by failing to properly validate user permissions before executing sensitive operations.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from inadequate access control mechanisms within the theme's codebase. When users interact with specific administrative endpoints or perform operations that modify theme settings, the system fails to verify whether the requesting user possesses the necessary administrative privileges. This missing authorization check creates a pathway for attackers to escalate their privileges or execute unauthorized modifications to the website's configuration. The flaw likely manifests in REST API endpoints, AJAX handlers, or direct theme modification functions that lack proper capability checks against user roles and permissions.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to affected websites. Attackers who can exploit this weakness can potentially modify theme settings, install malicious code, or manipulate website content without proper authentication. The impact extends beyond simple configuration changes as unauthorized users might gain access to sensitive data or use the compromised theme as a foothold for further attacks within the WordPress ecosystem. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-863, which specifically addresses "Incorrect Authorization" issues where the system fails to properly enforce access controls. The attack surface is particularly concerning given that Betheme is a popular theme with widespread adoption across numerous websites, potentially affecting hundreds or thousands of vulnerable installations.
The exploitation of this vulnerability can be facilitated through various attack vectors including social engineering to obtain user credentials or direct exploitation of the authorization bypass. Security practitioners should note that this issue represents a persistent threat that can be leveraged for privilege escalation attacks, potentially leading to complete compromise of affected systems. Organizations using affected versions of Betheme should immediately implement mitigations including updating to the latest available version, implementing additional access controls, and monitoring for suspicious activities. The vulnerability also ties into ATT&CK framework techniques related to privilege escalation and defense evasion, as attackers may use the unauthorized access to establish persistence or hide their activities within the compromised environment. Given the widespread use of Betheme, this vulnerability requires immediate attention from security teams responsible for WordPress site maintenance and security monitoring.