CVE-2024-1330 in kadence-blocks-pro Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 06/27/2024
The kadence-blocks-pro WordPress plugin before 2.3.8 does not prevent users with at least the contributor role using some of its shortcode's functionalities to leak arbitrary options from the database.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/29/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-1330 affects the kadence-blocks-pro WordPress plugin version 2.3.7 and earlier, representing a significant security flaw that allows unauthorized data exposure. This issue stems from inadequate access controls within the plugin's shortcode implementation, specifically targeting users who possess at least the contributor role level. The vulnerability manifests when legitimate users with minimal privileges attempt to utilize certain shortcode functionalities that inadvertently expose database options to unauthorized parties.
The technical flaw resides in the plugin's insufficient input validation and access control mechanisms. When contributors or users with equivalent privileges invoke specific shortcodes, the system fails to properly verify whether these users should have access to retrieve sensitive configuration options from the WordPress database. This represents a classic privilege escalation vulnerability where users with limited permissions can access data that should be restricted to administrators or higher-level users. The flaw operates at the application layer and demonstrates poor adherence to the principle of least privilege, which is a fundamental security concept that aligns with CWE-284 access control violations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data leakage, potentially exposing sensitive system configurations, plugin settings, and other database options that could aid attackers in planning further exploits. An attacker with contributor-level access could extract configuration data that might reveal database structure details, plugin version information, or other system metadata that would otherwise remain hidden. This information leakage could facilitate more sophisticated attacks, including targeted exploitation of other vulnerabilities within the WordPress ecosystem or related systems that share similar configuration data.
The vulnerability directly maps to ATT&CK technique T1213.002 (Data from Information Repositories) and represents a form of information disclosure that could enable attackers to gather intelligence about the target environment. This type of vulnerability is particularly concerning in multi-user WordPress environments where contributors might have legitimate access to the system but should not be able to extract sensitive configuration data. The issue highlights the importance of proper access control implementation and demonstrates how seemingly minor functionality can create significant security risks.
Mitigation strategies should prioritize immediate plugin updates to version 2.3.8 or later, which contains the necessary access control patches. Organizations should also implement additional monitoring to detect unusual shortcode usage patterns and consider restricting contributor-level access to plugin functionalities where possible. Security teams should review user role assignments and ensure that the principle of least privilege is maintained across all WordPress installations. Regular security audits of WordPress plugins and themes remain essential to identify similar access control weaknesses that could expose sensitive system information to unauthorized users.