CVE-2024-5382 in Master Addons Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 06/07/2024
The Master Addons – Free Widgets, Hover Effects, Toggle, Conditions, Animations for Elementor plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized modification of data due to a missing capability check on the 'ma-template' REST API route in all versions up to, and including, 2.0.6.1. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to create or modify existing Master Addons templates or make settings modifications related to these templates.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/08/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-5382 affects the Master Addons plugin for WordPress, a popular extension that provides various widgets and customization options for the Elementor page builder. This plugin has been widely adopted by WordPress users seeking enhanced design capabilities and interactive elements for their websites. The vulnerability resides within the plugin's REST API implementation, specifically in the 'ma-template' endpoint that handles template management operations. The issue represents a critical security flaw that undermines the integrity of the WordPress plugin ecosystem and exposes websites to potential data manipulation by unauthorized parties.
The technical flaw manifests as a missing capability check within the REST API route designated for template management. This oversight allows unauthenticated attackers to exploit the API endpoint without proper authorization, enabling them to perform operations that should be restricted to authenticated administrators or users with appropriate privileges. The vulnerability specifically affects all versions of the plugin up to and including 2.0.6.1, indicating that the developers failed to implement proper access controls for template-related API endpoints. This missing authorization check violates fundamental security principles and creates an attack surface where malicious actors can manipulate website content through template modifications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data modification, as it provides attackers with the ability to alter Master Addons templates and make configuration changes that could affect website functionality and appearance. Unauthenticated attackers could potentially create new templates, modify existing ones, or adjust template-related settings that might compromise website integrity, user experience, or even lead to more severe consequences such as defacement or the injection of malicious code. The vulnerability affects not only the template content itself but also the broader configuration parameters that govern how these templates function within the Elementor framework, potentially allowing for more extensive modifications to website behavior and structure.
From a cybersecurity perspective, this vulnerability aligns with CWE-863, which addresses "Incorrect Authorization" and represents a classic case of insufficient access control. The issue also maps to ATT&CK technique T1078.004, which covers "Valid Accounts: Cloud Accounts," as unauthorized access to administrative functions through API endpoints can effectively bypass normal authentication mechanisms. Organizations using affected versions of this plugin face significant risk of unauthorized template manipulation, which could result in website defacement, content injection, or the establishment of persistent backdoors through modified template configurations. The vulnerability's impact is particularly concerning given that the plugin is widely used and that the affected API endpoint provides access to core website functionality.
The recommended mitigation strategy involves immediate updating of the Master Addons plugin to the latest available version where the capability check has been properly implemented. Administrators should also conduct thorough security audits of their WordPress installations to identify any unauthorized modifications that may have occurred during the vulnerability window. Additional protective measures include implementing rate limiting on API endpoints, monitoring for unusual template modifications, and ensuring that only authorized personnel have access to administrative functions. Network-level protections such as web application firewalls can provide additional defense-in-depth measures, while regular security scanning should be employed to detect similar vulnerabilities in other installed plugins and themes. The incident underscores the importance of proper authorization checking in API implementations and the critical need for continuous security testing of WordPress plugins.