CVE-2024-50485 in Exam Matrix Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 10/29/2024
Incorrect Privilege Assignment vulnerability in Udit Rawat Exam Matrix exam-matrix allows Privilege Escalation.This issue affects Exam Matrix: from n/a through <= 1.5.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/07/2026
The CVE-2024-50485 vulnerability represents a critical privilege assignment flaw within the Exam Matrix web application developed by Udit Rawat. This vulnerability manifests as an incorrect privilege assignment that enables unauthorized privilege escalation, allowing attackers to gain elevated access rights beyond their intended permissions. The affected version range spans from the initial release through version 1.5, indicating this weakness has persisted across multiple iterations of the software. The vulnerability resides in the application's authorization mechanisms, where proper access control checks fail to validate user privileges correctly during critical operations.
This security flaw operates at the core of the application's authentication and authorization framework, specifically targeting the privilege assignment logic that governs user roles and permissions. The technical implementation appears to lack proper input validation and privilege verification mechanisms, enabling malicious actors to manipulate the system's permission model. When users interact with the application's core functionality, the flawed privilege assignment allows them to assume roles or access capabilities that should be restricted to authorized personnel only. This represents a fundamental breakdown in the principle of least privilege, where users can potentially escalate their access rights without proper authorization.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized access, as it creates a persistent security risk that could compromise the entire exam management system. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability could potentially access sensitive exam data, manipulate exam results, modify user accounts, or even gain administrative control over the entire platform. The privilege escalation capability means that even users with basic access rights could potentially elevate their privileges to administrative levels, undermining the application's security model entirely. This vulnerability particularly affects educational institutions relying on the platform for exam administration, where unauthorized access could lead to academic dishonesty, data breaches, or system compromise.
Organizations utilizing Exam Matrix version 1.5 or earlier should implement immediate mitigations to address this vulnerability. The primary recommendation involves updating to the latest available version where the privilege assignment logic has been properly corrected. Additionally, implementing proper access control validation at all application entry points can help prevent exploitation attempts. Security measures should include enhanced input validation, proper privilege verification checks, and regular security audits of the application's authorization mechanisms. Organizations should also consider implementing network segmentation and monitoring for suspicious privilege escalation activities. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-276, which addresses improper privilege management, and could potentially be leveraged as part of broader attack vectors in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under privilege escalation techniques. The remediation process should include thorough code review of the privilege assignment logic and implementation of proper role-based access controls to ensure that users cannot assume unauthorized privileges through manipulation of the application's permission system.