CVE-2023-50899 in Product Catalog Enquiry for WooCommerce Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 12/09/2024
Missing Authorization vulnerability in MultiVendorX Product Catalog Enquiry for WooCommerce by MultiVendorX allows Exploiting Incorrectly Configured Access Control Security Levels.This issue affects Product Catalog Enquiry for WooCommerce by MultiVendorX: from n/a through 5.0.2.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/09/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-50899 represents a critical authorization flaw within the MultiVendorX Product Catalog Enquiry plugin for WooCommerce, specifically impacting versions ranging from the initial release through 5.0.2. This security weakness stems from incorrectly configured access control mechanisms that fail to properly verify user permissions before granting access to sensitive product catalog information. The vulnerability manifests when the plugin does not adequately enforce authorization checks, allowing unauthorized users to bypass normal security controls and access restricted product data that should only be available to authenticated administrators or authorized vendors within the multi-vendor marketplace ecosystem.
The technical nature of this flaw places it squarely within the scope of CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization issues in software systems. This misconfiguration allows attackers to exploit the lack of proper access control validation, potentially enabling them to view, modify, or manipulate product catalog data without appropriate credentials. The vulnerability specifically affects the product catalog enquiry functionality where users can request information about products, but the authorization layer fails to validate whether the requesting user has legitimate access rights to view such information. Attackers could leverage this weakness to gain insights into product inventory, pricing structures, vendor details, and other sensitive commercial information that should remain restricted to authorized personnel within the marketplace platform.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it compromises the fundamental security model of the multi-vendor marketplace. Unauthorized users could potentially access competitor product information, identify vendor-specific details, or gather intelligence that could be used for competitive advantage or further exploitation. The vulnerability undermines the trust model of the WooCommerce marketplace by allowing unauthorized access to product catalog data that vendors and administrators expect to remain secure. This flaw could lead to significant business disruption, competitive disadvantages, and potential regulatory compliance issues depending on the nature of the product information being exposed.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-50899 should prioritize immediate plugin updates to versions that address the authorization flaw, as recommended by the vendor and security advisory organizations. System administrators should implement additional access control measures including network segmentation, firewall rules, and monitoring of unauthorized access attempts to the affected plugin endpoints. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers valid accounts and privilege escalation, as attackers could potentially leverage this flaw to gain unauthorized access to restricted administrative functions. Organizations should also conduct comprehensive security audits of their WooCommerce installations to identify similar authorization issues in other plugins or custom code, ensuring that all access control mechanisms properly validate user permissions and roles before granting access to sensitive functionality. Regular security testing and vulnerability assessments should be implemented to proactively identify and remediate similar authorization flaws within the broader system architecture.