CVE-2024-39640 in WP Social Feed Gallery Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 11/01/2024
Missing Authorization vulnerability in QuadLayers WP Social Feed Gallery allows Exploiting Incorrectly Configured Access Control Security Levels.This issue affects WP Social Feed Gallery: from n/a through 4.3.9.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/01/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-39640 represents a critical missing authorization flaw within the QuadLayers WP Social Feed Gallery plugin for WordPress systems. This security weakness stems from incorrectly configured access control security levels that permit unauthorized users to exploit functionality intended for privileged administrators only. The vulnerability exists across all versions of the plugin from the initial release through version 4.3.9, creating a substantial attack surface for malicious actors seeking to compromise WordPress installations. The issue fundamentally undermines the principle of least privilege by failing to properly validate user permissions before executing sensitive operations. This misconfiguration allows attackers to bypass normal authorization checks and access restricted administrative features. The vulnerability falls under the CWE-285 category of Improper Authorization, which specifically addresses scenarios where systems fail to properly enforce access controls. From an operational perspective, this flaw enables attackers to perform administrative actions without proper authentication, potentially leading to complete system compromise. The impact extends beyond simple unauthorized access as it can facilitate data manipulation, content injection, and potentially persistent backdoor establishment within affected WordPress environments.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability demonstrates a failure in the plugin's access control mechanisms where user permissions are not properly validated before executing administrative functions. Attackers can exploit this weakness by crafting specific requests that bypass normal authentication flows, leveraging the missing authorization checks to gain elevated privileges. The vulnerability's persistence across multiple versions indicates a fundamental design flaw rather than a temporary coding error, making it particularly concerning for organizations with extensive plugin installations. This issue aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078.004 which covers valid accounts and T1496 which addresses resource hijacking through unauthorized access. The exploitation process typically involves identifying the affected plugin version and then crafting requests that leverage the missing authorization controls to execute privileged operations. The vulnerability's presence in the WP Social Feed Gallery plugin creates a vector for attackers to manipulate social media feed configurations, potentially leading to content poisoning or unauthorized modifications to feed displays.
Organizations affected by CVE-2024-39640 should immediately implement mitigations including updating to the latest version of the QuadLayers WP Social Feed Gallery plugin where the authorization flaw has been addressed. The most effective immediate response involves disabling the plugin until a patched version is deployed to prevent exploitation attempts. Security administrators should also review existing user permissions and implement stricter access controls for WordPress administrative areas. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls can help detect and block exploitation attempts targeting this specific vulnerability. Regular security audits should be conducted to identify other plugins with similar authorization flaws, as this vulnerability type commonly appears in poorly configured WordPress systems. The remediation process should include comprehensive monitoring of administrative activities for signs of unauthorized access attempts. Organizations should also consider implementing principle of least privilege policies that limit access to administrative functions to only those users who require such privileges for their operational duties. Additionally, regular security scanning of WordPress installations can help identify other potential vulnerabilities that may be exploited in conjunction with this authorization flaw to maximize attack effectiveness.