CVE-2024-1204 in Meta Box Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 04/15/2024
The Meta Box WordPress plugin before 5.9.4 does not prevent users with at least the contributor role from access arbitrary custom fields assigned to other user's posts.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/15/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-1204 affects the Meta Box WordPress plugin version 5.9.3 and earlier, representing a critical access control flaw that undermines the security boundaries between user roles within WordPress environments. This issue specifically targets the plugin's handling of custom field permissions, creating a scenario where users with the contributor role can potentially access and manipulate custom fields that belong to posts created by other users. The vulnerability stems from insufficient validation mechanisms within the plugin's codebase that fail to properly enforce user-specific access controls for custom field data. According to CWE-284, this represents an improper access control vulnerability where the plugin does not adequately verify user permissions before allowing access to sensitive data. The flaw exists at the application level within the WordPress plugin architecture, specifically in how the Meta Box plugin manages user access to post-specific metadata.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability allows malicious or unauthorized users with contributor privileges to exploit the lack of proper authorization checks when accessing custom fields. When a contributor attempts to view or modify custom fields associated with posts owned by other users, the plugin fails to validate whether the requesting user has legitimate access rights to those specific fields. This creates an information disclosure and potential data manipulation risk where unauthorized users can access sensitive information that should only be available to the post author or administrators. The vulnerability operates by bypassing the standard WordPress user role permissions system, which typically restricts contributor-level users from viewing content created by other users. This misconfiguration enables what is known as a privilege escalation attack pattern documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under technique T1078.3, specifically focusing on valid accounts with insufficient privileges being used to access restricted resources.
The operational impact of CVE-2024-1204 extends beyond simple information disclosure to potentially enable more severe security consequences depending on the nature of the custom fields being accessed. Contributors typically have limited capabilities in WordPress, but when they can access other users' custom fields, they may gain insights into sensitive business data, personal information, or confidential metadata that could be leveraged for further attacks. The vulnerability affects any WordPress installation using the Meta Box plugin version 5.9.3 or earlier, making it particularly concerning for organizations that rely on custom field data for business operations, content management, or user-specific information handling. Organizations using this plugin may experience unauthorized access to private data, potential data integrity issues, and violations of data privacy regulations such as GDPR or HIPAA depending on the sensitive nature of the custom fields involved.
The recommended mitigation strategy for CVE-2024-1204 involves immediate upgrading of the Meta Box plugin to version 5.9.4 or later, which contains the necessary patches to address the access control vulnerability. System administrators should also conduct comprehensive security audits of their WordPress installations to identify any other potentially vulnerable plugins or themes that might exhibit similar permission handling issues. Additional defensive measures include implementing strict role-based access controls within WordPress, monitoring user activities for unauthorized access attempts, and ensuring that all plugins are regularly updated to their latest secure versions. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation and access control implementation in web applications, particularly those handling user-specific data, and underscores the necessity of adhering to security best practices as outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and NIST Cybersecurity Framework guidelines. Organizations should also consider implementing web application firewalls and intrusion detection systems to monitor for exploitation attempts targeting this specific vulnerability pattern.