CVE-2024-4858 in Testimonial Carousel for Elementor Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 05/25/2024
The Testimonial Carousel For Elementor plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized modification of data due to a missing capability check on the 'save_testimonials_option_callback' function in versions up to, and including, 10.2.0. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to update the OpenAI API key, disabling the feature.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/05/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-4858 affects the Testimonial Carousel For Elementor plugin, a popular WordPress extension used for creating dynamic testimonial displays on websites. This plugin integrates with Elementor page builder and provides functionality for displaying customer testimonials with various styling options. The vulnerability stems from a critical flaw in the plugin's permission handling mechanism, specifically within the 'save_testimonials_option_callback' function that manages the saving of testimonial options. The issue impacts all versions up to and including 10.2.0, making a significant portion of users potentially vulnerable to exploitation.
The technical flaw represents a classic authorization bypass vulnerability where the plugin fails to verify user capabilities before allowing modification of critical configuration settings. The missing capability check means that any unauthenticated user can access the callback function and modify the OpenAI API key stored within the plugin's settings. This represents a direct violation of the principle of least privilege, as the function should only be accessible to users with appropriate administrative permissions. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-863, which deals with incorrect authorization, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078.004 for valid accounts and T1566.001 for spearphishing via social media, as attackers could potentially exploit this to gain persistence or disrupt service availability.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant as it allows attackers to disable the OpenAI integration feature entirely by modifying the API key to an invalid value or removing it completely. This effectively breaks the functionality that relies on AI-powered testimonial processing or generation within the plugin. The attack surface is particularly concerning because it requires no authentication, making it easily exploitable through simple web requests. An attacker could potentially use this vulnerability to perform a denial of service against the website's testimonial functionality, or worse, inject malicious API keys to redirect the plugin's AI processing to unauthorized third-party services. The vulnerability could also serve as a stepping stone for further attacks, as it demonstrates the plugin's weak security controls and may indicate additional unpatched vulnerabilities in the codebase.
Mitigation strategies should include immediate patching of the plugin to version 10.2.1 or later, which addresses the missing capability check. System administrators should also implement network-level restrictions to limit access to plugin endpoints and monitor for unusual modification patterns in the WordPress options table. The WordPress security team recommends verifying that all users with administrative privileges have strong authentication mechanisms in place, including multi-factor authentication. Organizations should conduct security audits of their WordPress installations to identify other plugins with similar authorization flaws. Additionally, implementing web application firewalls and monitoring for unauthorized modifications to critical configuration files can help detect exploitation attempts. The vulnerability highlights the importance of proper input validation and capability checking in WordPress plugins, particularly those handling external API integrations and user-generated content processing.