CVE-2024-11294 in Memberful Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 12/17/2024
The Memberful plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Sensitive Information Exposure in all versions up to, and including, 1.73.9 via the WordPress core search feature. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to extract sensitive data from posts that have been restricted to higher-level roles such as site members.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/17/2024
The Memberful plugin for WordPress presents a critical security vulnerability classified as CVE-2024-11294, affecting all versions through 1.73.9. This vulnerability exploits the WordPress core search functionality to expose sensitive information that should typically be restricted to authenticated users with appropriate membership levels. The flaw represents a significant breach in access control mechanisms that undermines the fundamental security model of membership-based content protection. The vulnerability arises from improper handling of search queries that bypass normal authentication checks, allowing attackers to retrieve content that should remain hidden from unauthenticated users.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the plugin's failure to properly validate search requests against user permissions when processing queries through the WordPress search interface. When users perform searches on a WordPress site utilizing Memberful for membership management, the plugin does not adequately verify whether the requesting user has sufficient privileges to access the restricted content being referenced in search results. This oversight creates a pathway for attackers to craft search queries that return posts or content items that are normally restricted to specific membership tiers or user roles. The vulnerability operates at the intersection of content management and search functionality, where the plugin's search handling logic fails to enforce the access control policies established by the membership system.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability exposes organizations to significant risks including unauthorized access to premium content, member data exposure, and potential compromise of user privacy. Attackers can exploit this weakness to discover and extract sensitive information from posts, pages, or content items that are specifically designed to be accessible only to paying members or specific user groups within the WordPress ecosystem. The exposure affects any content that has been restricted through Memberful's membership management features, potentially including proprietary information, member-only discussions, or other confidential materials. This vulnerability directly violates the principle of least privilege and can lead to reputation damage, regulatory compliance issues, and potential legal consequences for organizations that fail to protect member data appropriately.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including upgrading to the latest version of the Memberful plugin where this vulnerability has been addressed, implementing additional access controls at the web server level, and monitoring search functionality for unusual patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-200, which addresses information exposure, and represents a clear violation of the principle of information hiding in security design. Security practitioners should also consider implementing web application firewalls to monitor and block suspicious search queries that attempt to access restricted content. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a privilege escalation technique through information disclosure, where attackers leverage application-level flaws to gain access to information beyond their authorized scope. Organizations must also conduct thorough security assessments of their WordPress installations to identify similar vulnerabilities in other plugins or themes that might expose sensitive information through search or indexing mechanisms.