CVE-2024-11297 in Page Restriction Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 12/20/2024
The Page Restriction WordPress (WP) – Protect WP Pages/Post plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Sensitive Information Exposure in all versions up to, and including, 1.3.6 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 administrator.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/03/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-11297 affects the Page Restriction WordPress plugin, specifically targeting versions up to and including 1.3.6. This security flaw resides within the plugin's interaction with WordPress core search functionality, creating an unexpected information disclosure channel that undermines the intended access controls for restricted content. The issue represents a significant weakness in the plugin's security architecture as it allows unauthorized users to bypass the normal access restrictions that should prevent viewing of content reserved for administrators and other privileged roles. The vulnerability operates through the WordPress search mechanism, which typically should only return publicly accessible content or content visible to the current user's permission level, but instead leaks information from restricted posts.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from improper handling of search results within the plugin's codebase. When WordPress processes search queries, it should respect the access controls and content restrictions that have been established by administrators. However, in this case, the plugin fails to properly filter search results based on user permissions, allowing the search functionality to return excerpts or metadata from posts that should be restricted to higher-level users. This flaw creates a direct pathway for attackers to discover and extract sensitive information from posts that contain confidential data, user credentials, administrative details, or other privileged content that should remain inaccessible to unauthenticated or lower-privileged users.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is substantial as it effectively neutralizes the access control mechanisms that administrators rely on to protect sensitive content within their WordPress installations. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to perform reconnaissance activities by searching for specific terms that might reveal the existence of restricted posts, their titles, content snippets, or metadata. This information exposure can lead to further exploitation attempts, as the leaked data may contain clues about system architecture, user roles, administrative practices, or other sensitive information that could be used in subsequent attacks. The vulnerability particularly affects sites that use the plugin to protect confidential information, administrative communications, or sensitive business data, making it a critical concern for organizations relying on WordPress for their content management needs.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately implement mitigation strategies to protect their WordPress installations from unauthorized information disclosure. The primary recommendation involves updating to the latest version of the Page Restriction plugin where the vulnerability has been addressed through proper access control enforcement during search operations. Additionally, administrators should conduct thorough audits of their content restrictions to identify any potentially exposed sensitive information that may have been accessed through this vulnerability. Security measures should include implementing additional access controls, monitoring search functionality for unusual patterns, and ensuring that all WordPress plugins are kept up to date with the latest security patches. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-200, which addresses information exposure, and could be categorized under ATT&CK technique T1213.002 for data from information repositories, as it allows unauthorized access to stored information through search functionality.