CVE-2024-1279 in Paid Memberships Pro Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 03/11/2024
The Paid Memberships Pro WordPress plugin before 2.12.9 does not prevent user with at least the contributor role from leaking other users' sensitive metadata.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/29/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-1279 affects the Paid Memberships Pro WordPress plugin, specifically versions prior to 2.12.9, presenting a critical access control flaw that undermines user privacy and data protection mechanisms. This issue stems from inadequate authorization checks within the plugin's metadata handling functionality, allowing users with the contributor role to access sensitive information belonging to other users. The vulnerability represents a significant weakness in the plugin's security architecture, as it bypasses the expected role-based access controls that should prevent lower-privileged users from viewing confidential data.
The technical flaw manifests in the plugin's failure to properly validate user permissions when retrieving or exposing user metadata. Contributors in WordPress typically have limited capabilities and should not have access to other users' private information, yet this vulnerability enables them to exploit API endpoints or data retrieval functions that expose sensitive metadata. The issue likely occurs through improper input validation or missing access control checks in the plugin's core code, where user requests for metadata are processed without sufficient authorization verification. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-285 category of Improper Authorization, specifically addressing insufficient access control mechanisms that allow unauthorized users to access protected resources.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, creating potential risks for user privacy and data integrity within WordPress installations. Attackers with contributor-level access can potentially gather sensitive user information including but not limited to membership status, payment details, personal identification data, and other private metadata that should remain confidential. This exposure creates opportunities for social engineering attacks, credential theft, or further exploitation attempts, as the leaked metadata may contain information that can be used to compromise other accounts or systems. The vulnerability particularly affects membership sites where users trust the platform with sensitive financial and personal information, making it a significant concern for businesses relying on the plugin for user management and payment processing.
Organizations using the affected plugin version should immediately implement mitigations including updating to the patched version 2.12.9 or later, which addresses the authorization flaw through proper access control validation. Additional protective measures should include implementing network-level restrictions, monitoring for unusual metadata access patterns, and conducting thorough security audits of the plugin's functionality. Security teams should also consider implementing role-based access control reviews to ensure that contributor accounts cannot access sensitive user data through alternative pathways. This vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1213.002 for Data from Information Repositories, highlighting the importance of proper access controls in preventing unauthorized data extraction. The incident underscores the critical need for regular security updates and proper code review processes to prevent similar authorization bypass vulnerabilities in WordPress plugins, particularly those handling sensitive user information and membership data.