CVE-2024-1650 in Categorify Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 02/27/2024
The Categorify plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized modification of data due to a missing capability check on the categorifyAjaxRenameCategory function in all versions up to, and including, 1.0.7.4. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with subscriber-level access and above, to rename categories.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/07/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-1650 affects the Categorify plugin for WordPress, specifically targeting versions up to and including 1.0.7.4. This represents a critical security flaw that undermines the integrity of content management operations within WordPress environments. The issue stems from inadequate access control mechanisms within the plugin's codebase, creating a pathway for unauthorized data modification by users who should not possess such privileges.
The technical flaw manifests in the categorifyAjaxRenameCategory function which fails to implement proper capability checks before executing category renaming operations. This function operates without verifying whether the requesting user possesses the necessary permissions to modify taxonomy terms within the WordPress system. As a result, any authenticated user with subscriber-level access or higher can exploit this vulnerability to rename categories, potentially causing significant disruption to content organization and site structure. The vulnerability directly violates fundamental security principles of least privilege and proper access control enforcement.
From an operational impact perspective, this vulnerability enables attackers to manipulate the site's categorization structure in ways that can compromise content integrity and user experience. An attacker could rename categories to obscure content, create misleading taxonomies, or potentially disrupt site navigation and search functionality. The implications extend beyond simple data modification as category renaming can affect SEO rankings, content discoverability, and overall site usability. This vulnerability particularly concerns WordPress administrators as it allows for unauthorized modifications that could be difficult to detect or reverse without proper backup and monitoring systems in place.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which describes improper access control, and represents a clear violation of the principle that operations requiring administrative privileges should be protected by appropriate authorization checks. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to T1078, which covers valid accounts and T1566, which involves credential harvesting, as it allows for exploitation of existing user accounts to achieve unauthorized modifications. Organizations using the Categorify plugin should immediately update to the latest version where this capability check has been implemented. The recommended mitigation includes not only updating the plugin but also implementing monitoring for unusual taxonomy modifications and ensuring that user access levels are properly configured according to the principle of least privilege. Additionally, administrators should conduct regular security audits of installed plugins to identify and remediate similar access control vulnerabilities across their WordPress environments.