CVE-2024-2931 in WPFront User Role Editor Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 04/02/2024
The WPFront User Role Editor plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Sensitive Information Exposure in all versions up to, and including, 3.2.1.11184 via the wpfront_user_role_editor_assign_roles_user_autocomplete AJAX action. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with subscriber-level access and above, to extract retrieve a list of all user email addresses who are registered on the site.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/14/2026
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-2931 affects the WPFront User Role Editor plugin for WordPress, representing a critical sensitive information exposure flaw that undermines the security posture of affected websites. This vulnerability exists within the plugin's AJAX endpoint implementation and specifically targets the wpfront_user_role_editor_assign_roles_user_autocomplete action, which is designed to provide user autocomplete functionality for role assignment purposes. The flaw allows authenticated attackers who possess subscriber-level privileges or higher to exploit this functionality and extract comprehensive lists of all registered user email addresses from the WordPress installation. The vulnerability impacts all versions of the plugin up to and including version 3.2.1.11184, indicating a widespread exposure across multiple plugin iterations.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and access control measures within the plugin's AJAX handler. When the wpfront_user_role_editor_assign_roles_user_autocomplete action is invoked, the plugin fails to properly verify that the requesting user has appropriate authorization to access the user email data. This represents a classic case of insufficient authorization checks, which can be categorized under CWE-285, specifically related to insufficient authorization within web applications. The flaw essentially allows unauthorized data enumeration through a legitimate plugin feature that should only be accessible to users with elevated privileges such as administrators or editors. Attackers can leverage this functionality by simply making authenticated requests to the AJAX endpoint, bypassing normal WordPress access controls that would typically restrict such information exposure to privileged users.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it provides attackers with valuable intelligence for subsequent attack phases. The exposure of complete user email address lists creates opportunities for social engineering campaigns, credential stuffing attacks, and phishing operations targeting specific users within the organization. The vulnerability particularly affects WordPress sites that rely on the plugin for user role management, as it essentially creates a backdoor for data harvesting that could be exploited by malicious actors. From an attacker's perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566, specifically the credential access and reconnaissance phases where adversaries gather user information to plan targeted attacks. The exposure of user email addresses also increases the risk of targeted attacks against individual users, particularly if the same email addresses are used for multiple services or if password reuse occurs within the organization.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability require immediate action from WordPress administrators and security teams. The primary recommendation involves updating the WPFront User Role Editor plugin to the latest available version that addresses this specific flaw, as version 3.2.1.11184 and earlier versions are confirmed to be vulnerable. Organizations should also implement additional monitoring of AJAX endpoint access patterns to detect anomalous behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. Network-level controls can be implemented to restrict access to the plugin's AJAX endpoints, particularly for users who do not require role assignment capabilities. Security teams should conduct thorough audits of all installed plugins to identify similar vulnerabilities and ensure that proper access controls are in place for all AJAX endpoints. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of implementing defense-in-depth strategies and proper access control mechanisms within WordPress plugins, as even legitimate features can become attack vectors when not properly secured. Additionally, implementing role-based access controls and regularly reviewing user permissions can help minimize the potential impact of such vulnerabilities by limiting the scope of users who can access potentially sensitive functionality.