CVE-2024-10681 in ARMember Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 12/06/2024
The The ARMember – Membership Plugin, Content Restriction, Member Levels, User Profile & User signup plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to arbitrary shortcode execution in all versions up to, and including, 4.0.51. This is due to the software allowing users to execute an action that does not properly validate a value before running do_shortcode. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with subscriber-level access and above, to execute arbitrary shortcodes.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/06/2024
The ARMember WordPress plugin represents a widely used membership management solution that enables website administrators to control content access and user registration processes. This particular vulnerability exists within the plugin's handling of shortcode execution mechanisms, specifically affecting versions up to and including 4.0.51. The flaw stems from inadequate input validation within the plugin's core functionality, creating a pathway for malicious exploitation that undermines the security posture of affected WordPress installations. The vulnerability affects the plugin's ability to properly sanitize user-provided data before executing shortcode processing functions.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability occurs when authenticated users with subscriber-level permissions or higher attempt to trigger shortcode execution through improperly validated input parameters. The plugin fails to adequately validate the shortcode value before passing it to the do_shortcode function, which executes the provided shortcode without sufficient sanitization measures. This allows attackers to inject malicious shortcodes that can execute arbitrary code within the WordPress environment. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it operates within the context of authenticated users, meaning that even low-privilege accounts can exploit this weakness to gain unauthorized capabilities.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability enables attackers to execute arbitrary shortcodes that can potentially lead to privilege escalation, data exfiltration, or further exploitation of the WordPress environment. Since the vulnerability requires only subscriber-level access, it represents a significant risk for websites where user registration is open or where subscribers have access to content management interfaces. The ability to execute arbitrary shortcodes means that attackers can potentially leverage this vulnerability to install backdoors, modify user permissions, or access restricted content. This flaw directly impacts the principle of least privilege and can be exploited to undermine the entire membership system's security framework.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 (Cross-Site Scripting) and CWE-89 (SQL Injection) categories, as it enables arbitrary code execution through user input manipulation. It also maps to ATT&CK techniques including T1059.001 (Command and Scripting Interpreter: Visual Basic) and T1566 (Phishing) where attackers might use the compromised shortcode execution to deliver additional payloads. The attack surface is expanded through the plugin's integration with WordPress's shortcode system, which is designed to execute user-generated content. Organizations should implement immediate mitigation measures including plugin updates to version 4.0.52 or later, which addresses this vulnerability through proper input validation and sanitization. Additionally, administrators should review user permissions and implement network-level restrictions to limit potential exploitation. Regular security auditing of WordPress plugins and maintaining updated security patches remains critical for preventing similar vulnerabilities from compromising web applications.