CVE-2024-10174 in WP Project Manager Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 11/13/2024
The WP Project Manager – Task, team, and project management plugin featuring kanban board and gantt charts plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Insecure Direct Object Reference in all versions up to, and including, 2.6.13 via the 'Abstract_Permission' class due to missing validation on the 'user_id' user controlled key. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to spoof their identity to that of an administrator and access all of the plugins REST routes.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/13/2024
The WP Project Manager plugin for WordPress presents a critical security vulnerability classified as CVE-2024-10174, affecting all versions up to and including 2.6.13. This vulnerability stems from an insecure direct object reference flaw within the plugin's Abstract_Permission class, specifically failing to validate the user_id parameter that is directly controlled by users. The vulnerability fundamentally compromises the plugin's access control mechanisms by allowing unauthorized users to manipulate the user identification process through REST API endpoints. This flaw represents a significant deviation from standard security practices and aligns with CWE-284, which addresses improper access control issues in software systems. The vulnerability exists because the plugin does not properly authenticate or authorize requests before processing them, creating a pathway for malicious actors to escalate their privileges without proper credentials.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through manipulation of the user_id parameter within the plugin's REST API routes. When an attacker sends a crafted request to the plugin's REST endpoints, they can specify any user_id value they choose, including that of an administrator account. This bypasses the normal authentication flow and allows the system to process requests as if the attacker were the designated user. The vulnerability specifically impacts the plugin's ability to enforce proper access controls, enabling unauthorized access to administrative functions and potentially leading to full system compromise. The attack vector is particularly dangerous because it operates entirely through the REST API interface, which is designed to provide programmatic access to plugin functionality. This creates a scenario where attackers can perform administrative actions such as creating, modifying, or deleting project data, managing user accounts, and accessing sensitive information without proper authorization.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends far beyond simple unauthorized access to plugin features. An attacker who successfully exploits this vulnerability can gain complete administrative control over the WordPress site's project management functionality, potentially leading to data breaches, unauthorized modifications to project timelines, task assignments, and team structures. The implications are particularly severe for organizations that rely heavily on project management workflows, as the attacker could manipulate critical business processes and potentially use the compromised system as a pivot point for further attacks within the network. The vulnerability affects not only the immediate plugin functionality but also poses risks to the broader WordPress installation, as attackers could use the compromised administrative access to install malicious plugins, modify themes, or even exfiltrate sensitive data from the site. This represents a classic privilege escalation attack pattern that aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078.004 for valid accounts and T1566.001 for credential harvesting.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2024-10174 should focus on immediate patching of the affected plugin to version 2.6.14 or later, which contains the necessary security fixes. Organizations should also implement additional security measures including rate limiting on REST API endpoints, monitoring for unusual access patterns, and implementing proper authentication controls for all plugin interfaces. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls should be configured to detect and block suspicious requests to the plugin's REST API endpoints. Security teams should also conduct thorough audits of all installed plugins to identify similar vulnerabilities and ensure that proper input validation is implemented across all user-controllable parameters. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper access control implementation and demonstrates how seemingly minor oversights in authentication logic can lead to complete system compromise. Organizations should also consider implementing principle of least privilege concepts for plugin access and regularly review plugin permissions to ensure that only necessary functionality is exposed to users. The fix for this vulnerability should include comprehensive validation of user_id parameters and proper session management to prevent unauthorized access to administrative functions.