CVE-2024-37207 in Demo Awesome Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 11/01/2024
Missing Authorization vulnerability in Theme4Press Demo Awesome allows Exploiting Incorrectly Configured Access Control Security Levels.This issue affects Demo Awesome: from n/a through 1.0.2.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/01/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-37207 represents a critical missing authorization flaw within the Theme4Press Demo Awesome plugin, specifically impacting versions ranging from an unspecified initial state through 1.0.2. This security weakness resides in the plugin's access control mechanisms, creating a scenario where unauthorized users can potentially exploit incorrectly configured security levels to gain access to restricted functionality. The vulnerability stems from inadequate validation of user permissions and roles, allowing malicious actors to bypass intended access controls that should restrict certain administrative or sensitive operations to authorized personnel only.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability manifests through improper authorization checks within the plugin's codebase, where the Demo Awesome component fails to properly verify whether incoming requests originate from users with appropriate privileges. This misconfiguration creates an attack surface where unauthenticated or low-privilege users can manipulate the application's behavior to access features that should be restricted to administrators or authorized personnel. The flaw operates at the application layer and can be exploited through various means including direct API calls, parameter manipulation, or by leveraging existing user sessions to perform unauthorized actions. According to CWE standards, this vulnerability maps to CWE-285, which specifically addresses improper authorization within software systems, making it a direct violation of fundamental security principles.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it can enable attackers to perform administrative actions within the affected WordPress environment. An attacker who successfully exploits this weakness could potentially modify plugin configurations, access sensitive data, or even compromise the entire WordPress installation through privilege escalation techniques. The vulnerability's scope is particularly concerning because it affects the core access control mechanisms of the plugin, meaning that any user who can interact with the Demo Awesome functionality could potentially exploit this flaw. This creates a significant risk for WordPress sites that rely on this plugin, as the compromise of a single vulnerable component could lead to broader system infiltration and data breaches.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2024-37207 should prioritize immediate patching of the affected plugin versions, with administrators ensuring they upgrade to the latest available release that addresses the authorization flaw. Additionally, security hardening measures should include implementing proper role-based access controls within WordPress, regularly auditing user permissions, and monitoring for unauthorized access attempts. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls and intrusion detection systems can provide additional layers of defense, while regular security scanning should be employed to identify similar misconfigurations across other installed plugins and themes. Organizations should also implement the principle of least privilege, ensuring that users only have access to the minimum functionality necessary for their roles, thereby limiting the potential damage from exploitation of such authorization vulnerabilities. This remediation approach aligns with ATT&CK framework techniques related to privilege escalation and defense evasion, emphasizing the importance of maintaining proper access control boundaries within web applications.