CVE-2024-37277 in Paid Memberships Pro Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 11/01/2024
Authorization Bypass Through User-Controlled Key vulnerability in Paid Memberships Pro allows Accessing Functionality Not Properly Constrained by ACLs.This issue affects Paid Memberships Pro: from n/a through 3.0.4.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/01/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-37277 represents a critical authorization bypass flaw within the Paid Memberships Pro plugin, a widely used membership management solution for wordpress platforms. This issue stems from improper handling of user-controlled keys that should normally be restricted by access control lists, allowing malicious actors to bypass intended security controls and gain unauthorized access to protected functionality. The vulnerability specifically impacts versions ranging from the initial release through version 3.0.4, indicating a prolonged exposure window where users remained vulnerable to exploitation.
The technical root cause of this authorization bypass lies in how the plugin processes user-supplied keys or tokens that should be validated against established access control mechanisms. When a user-controlled key is improperly validated or sanitized, it creates an opportunity for attackers to manipulate the authentication flow and access restricted administrative functions or membership features that should only be available to authorized users. This flaw operates at the intersection of weak input validation and insufficient access control enforcement, creating a pathway for privilege escalation attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access to potentially compromise entire membership systems and user data integrity. Attackers exploiting this flaw could gain access to sensitive membership information, modify user permissions, manipulate payment records, or even execute administrative functions that control the entire membership platform. The implications are particularly severe for organizations relying on Paid Memberships Pro for their membership management, as the vulnerability could lead to data breaches, financial losses, and reputational damage from unauthorized access to premium content or services.
Security professionals should prioritize immediate remediation of this vulnerability by updating to the patched version 3.0.5 or later, as recommended by the plugin developers. Organizations should also implement additional monitoring of administrative access logs and user activity patterns to detect potential exploitation attempts. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-285, which addresses improper authorization issues in software systems, and maps to ATT&CK technique T1078 for valid accounts and privilege escalation. Network segmentation and least-privilege access controls can provide additional defense-in-depth measures while awaiting the official patch deployment, though these are not substitutes for proper software updates and vulnerability remediation processes.