CVE-2024-2797 in MailerLite Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 05/02/2024
The MailerLite – Signup forms (official) plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized plugin setting changes due to a missing capability check on the toggleRolesAndPermissions and editAllowedRolesAndPermissions functions in all versions up to, and including, 1.7.6. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to allow lower level users to modify forms.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 05/31/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-2797 affects the MailerLite Signup forms plugin for WordPress, a widely used tool for creating email subscription forms on WordPress websites. This security flaw resides in the plugin's permission handling mechanisms and represents a critical authorization bypass vulnerability that undermines the security model of WordPress installations. The issue stems from the absence of proper capability checks within two specific functions: toggleRolesAndPermissions and editAllowedRolesAndPermissions. These functions are responsible for managing user roles and permissions within the plugin's administrative interface, yet they fail to verify whether the requesting user possesses sufficient privileges to perform these operations. The vulnerability impacts all versions of the plugin up to and including version 1.7.6, making it a persistent threat across a significant portion of the plugin's user base.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability occurs through unauthenticated attack vectors that allow malicious actors to manipulate plugin settings without proper authentication. When an attacker accesses the vulnerable functions, they can alter the role-based permissions that control who can modify forms within the MailerLite plugin interface. This flaw creates a scenario where users with lower privilege levels, such as subscribers or contributors, can gain unauthorized access to administrative functions typically restricted to administrators or editors. The missing capability check represents a fundamental breakdown in the principle of least privilege, where the plugin fails to validate user permissions before executing sensitive operations. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-284, which describes improper access control, and demonstrates how the absence of proper authorization checks can lead to privilege escalation and unauthorized system modifications. The flaw essentially allows attackers to elevate their privileges within the plugin's context, potentially leading to broader compromise of the WordPress installation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple permission manipulation and can result in significant security consequences for affected WordPress sites. Unauthenticated attackers can exploit this vulnerability to modify form settings, potentially redirecting form submissions to malicious endpoints or altering the functionality of subscription forms. This capability enables attackers to harvest user data more effectively or redirect traffic to phishing sites, making the vulnerability particularly dangerous for sites that rely heavily on email collection for marketing purposes. The implications are especially severe for organizations that use MailerLite for customer engagement, as compromised forms could be used to collect sensitive information or disrupt legitimate business operations. From an attacker's perspective, this vulnerability provides a low-effort method to gain unauthorized access to plugin administrative functions, making it an attractive target for automated exploitation attempts. The vulnerability also aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078.004, which covers valid accounts used for persistence and privilege escalation, as attackers can leverage the compromised plugin permissions to maintain access and further compromise the system.
Organizations using the affected MailerLite plugin version should implement immediate mitigation strategies to protect their WordPress installations. The primary recommendation involves updating to the latest available version of the plugin where the capability check vulnerability has been addressed. Security administrators should also conduct thorough audits of their WordPress installations to identify any unauthorized changes that may have occurred due to exploitation of this vulnerability. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual access patterns to the plugin's administrative endpoints, particularly those associated with role management functions. Additionally, implementing proper access controls and regular security assessments can help prevent exploitation attempts and maintain the integrity of WordPress plugin configurations. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and capability checks in web applications, particularly within content management systems where plugins often require elevated privileges to function correctly. Organizations should also consider implementing security headers and additional authentication layers to provide defense-in-depth against similar vulnerabilities in other plugin components.