CVE-2024-12295 in BoomBox Theme Extensions
Summary
by MITRE • 03/19/2025
The BoomBox Theme Extensions plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to privilege escalation via account takeover in all versions up to, and including, 1.8.0. This is due to the plugin not properly validating a user's identity prior to updating their password through the 'boombox_ajax_reset_password' function. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with subscriber-level privileges and above, to change arbitrary user's passwords, including administrators, and leverage that to gain access to their account.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/19/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-12295 affects the BoomBox Theme Extensions plugin for WordPress, representing a critical privilege escalation flaw that undermines the security model of affected systems. This vulnerability exists in all versions up to and including 1.8.0, making it a widespread concern for WordPress installations that utilize this plugin. The core issue lies in the improper validation of user identity within the plugin's password reset functionality, creating a pathway for malicious actors to exploit their existing access privileges to escalate their privileges and gain unauthorized control over other user accounts.
The technical flaw manifests through the 'boombox_ajax_reset_password' function which fails to properly authenticate and authorize password modification requests. Specifically, the plugin does not validate whether the requesting user has legitimate authorization to modify the target user's password, allowing authenticated users with subscriber-level privileges or higher to manipulate the password reset process for any user account within the system. This weakness directly violates fundamental security principles of least privilege and proper access control enforcement, creating a dangerous scenario where lower-privileged users can assume the identity and privileges of higher-privileged accounts.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple account takeover, as it enables attackers to gain persistent access to administrative accounts and potentially compromise the entire WordPress installation. An authenticated attacker with subscriber-level privileges can leverage this vulnerability to reset administrator passwords and subsequently gain full control over the website, including access to sensitive data, user information, and the ability to modify content or install malicious plugins. This type of vulnerability aligns with CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization issues in software applications, and represents a clear violation of the principle that users should only be able to perform actions they are explicitly authorized to execute.
The security implications of this vulnerability are particularly severe given that it requires minimal privileges to exploit, making it attractive to attackers who may already have access to a compromised user account. The vulnerability creates a persistent backdoor that can be used for extended periods, allowing attackers to maintain access even after initial compromise, and potentially enabling further attacks such as data exfiltration, defacement, or the installation of additional malicious components. This weakness also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078 which covers legitimate credentials and valid accounts as a means of gaining access to systems, as the vulnerability essentially allows attackers to obtain valid administrative credentials without requiring additional reconnaissance or exploitation techniques.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must include immediate plugin updates to versions that address the privilege escalation flaw, along with comprehensive security auditing of affected systems. Organizations should implement additional monitoring for unusual password reset activities, enforce strong access controls and multi-factor authentication, and conduct regular security assessments of all installed plugins to identify similar vulnerabilities. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of proper input validation and authentication mechanisms in web applications, as outlined in OWASP Top 10 security principles, particularly focusing on authentication and access control weaknesses that can lead to privilege escalation attacks.