CVE-2024-50417 in Bold Page Builder Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 11/19/2024
Missing Authorization vulnerability in BoldThemes Bold Page Builder allows Exploiting Incorrectly Configured Access Control Security Levels.This issue affects Bold Page Builder: from n/a through 5.1.3.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/19/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-50417 represents a critical missing authorization flaw within the BoldThemes Bold Page Builder plugin, which operates under the common weakness enumeration CWE-285. This security defect stems from incorrectly configured access control security levels that permit unauthorized users to exploit the system's permission mechanisms. The vulnerability exists across all versions of the Bold Page Builder plugin from the initial release through version 5.1.3, indicating a persistent flaw in the plugin's authorization framework that has remained unaddressed for an extended period. The issue fundamentally undermines the principle of least privilege by allowing actors with minimal privileges to perform actions that should be restricted to administrators or authorized personnel only.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability manifests through improper access control checks within the plugin's codebase, where the system fails to verify user permissions before executing sensitive operations. This misconfiguration enables attackers to bypass standard authentication mechanisms and gain access to functionality that should be restricted to users with appropriate authorization levels. The flaw likely resides in the plugin's API endpoints or administrative interfaces where access control logic has been omitted or incorrectly implemented, creating a pathway for privilege escalation attacks. The absence of proper authorization checks means that any user who can access the plugin's interface can potentially perform administrative actions, including modifying content, accessing sensitive data, or altering system configurations.
Operationally, this vulnerability presents a significant risk to WordPress installations utilizing the Bold Page Builder plugin, as it allows attackers to compromise the entire content management system through a single point of failure in the authorization framework. The impact extends beyond simple content manipulation to include potential data breaches, website defacement, and the possibility of establishing persistent access through the compromised administrative capabilities. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability to inject malicious code, modify user permissions, or gain access to sensitive information stored within the WordPress environment. The vulnerability's persistence across multiple versions suggests that the underlying authorization implementation has systemic flaws that have not been properly addressed through version updates, leaving users exposed to attacks regardless of their current plugin version.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate remediation through plugin updates to the latest available version that addresses the authorization flaw. Organizations should implement network-level restrictions to limit access to administrative interfaces and consider implementing additional authentication layers such as two-factor authentication to reduce the risk of unauthorized access. Security monitoring should be enhanced to detect unusual administrative activities or access patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under privilege escalation techniques, specifically targeting the T1078 credential reuse and T1548 legitimate credentials components, making it a critical concern for organizations following standard security protocols. Regular security audits of WordPress plugins and themes should be conducted to identify similar authorization flaws, and automated scanning tools should be employed to detect misconfigurations in access control mechanisms. Additionally, implementing proper role-based access controls and regularly reviewing user permissions can help minimize the potential impact of such vulnerabilities.