CVE-2023-4924 in BEAR Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 10/25/2023
The BEAR for WordPress is vulnerable to Missing Authorization in versions up to, and including, 1.1.3.3. This is due to missing capability checks on the woobe_bulkoperations_delete function. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with subscriber access or higher, to delete products.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/10/2026
The BEAR for WordPress plugin presents a critical authorization vulnerability that undermines the security posture of affected WordPress installations. This vulnerability exists in versions up to and including 1.1.3.3, where the plugin fails to implement proper capability checks within its administrative functions. The specific flaw resides in the woobe_bulkoperations_delete function which lacks adequate authorization validation, creating a pathway for unauthorized actions despite the plugin's intended administrative functionality. This weakness represents a direct violation of the principle of least privilege and demonstrates poor access control implementation that allows attackers to escalate their privileges beyond what should be permitted for their user roles.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from the absence of proper capability verification within the plugin's codebase, specifically around the woobe_bulkoperations_delete function. When an authenticated user accesses this function, the system does not validate whether the user possesses the necessary administrative privileges to perform bulk product deletion operations. This missing authorization check creates a security boundary failure that enables attackers with subscriber-level access or higher to execute destructive operations against the e-commerce platform's product catalog. The vulnerability operates at the application layer and directly impacts the integrity of the WordPress content management system, particularly affecting WooCommerce-based stores that rely on the BEAR plugin for bulk operations.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to e-commerce platforms and their data integrity. An attacker with subscriber access or higher can leverage this flaw to delete products from the online store, potentially causing revenue loss, inventory discrepancies, and operational disruption. The impact extends beyond simple data deletion as it can lead to complete product catalog corruption, affecting customer experience and business operations. The vulnerability's exploitation requires minimal privileges, making it particularly dangerous as it can be leveraged by users who should not have access to such destructive capabilities. This flaw effectively allows for privilege escalation within the context of the plugin's functionality, creating opportunities for data manipulation and system compromise that aligns with attack patterns described in the attack technique matrix under credential access and privilege escalation domains.
The vulnerability's classification aligns with CWE-862, which addresses insufficient authorization issues in software systems. This weakness directly impacts the system's ability to enforce proper access controls and maintain data integrity within the WordPress environment. Organizations using the BEAR plugin must understand that this vulnerability creates a persistent risk that remains active until properly patched, as it represents a fundamental flaw in the plugin's access control mechanisms. The security implications extend to potential data loss scenarios, service disruption, and the possibility of cascading effects if the compromised system serves as a foothold for further attacks. Mitigation efforts should focus on immediate patching to version 1.1.3.4 or later, while also implementing monitoring for unauthorized bulk operations and conducting thorough security assessments of all installed plugins to identify similar authorization gaps that may exist within the WordPress ecosystem.