CVE-2024-54363 in Wp NssUser Register Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 12/16/2024
Incorrect Privilege Assignment vulnerability in nssTheme Wp NssUser Register allows Privilege Escalation.This issue affects Wp NssUser Register: from n/a through 1.0.0.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/16/2024
The CVE-2024-54363 vulnerability represents a critical privilege assignment flaw within the nssTheme Wp NssUser Register plugin for WordPress systems. This vulnerability falls under the category of incorrect privilege assignment as defined by CWE-272, where the system fails to properly enforce privilege levels during user registration processes. The issue specifically impacts versions of the plugin ranging from the initial release through version 1.0.0, indicating that the flaw has been present since the plugin's inception and has not been addressed in any subsequent updates.
The technical flaw manifests in the plugin's user registration mechanism where newly registered users are incorrectly assigned administrative privileges or elevated access rights without proper verification or authorization checks. This misconfiguration occurs during the privilege assignment phase of user account creation, where the system fails to validate whether the newly registered user should possess elevated permissions. The vulnerability essentially allows any user who can access the registration interface to potentially gain administrative control over the WordPress site, bypassing standard security controls that should prevent such privilege escalation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and far-reaching for affected WordPress installations. An attacker exploiting this vulnerability can gain full administrative access to the compromised site, enabling them to modify content, install malicious plugins, steal sensitive data, manipulate user accounts, and potentially use the compromised system as a foothold for further attacks within the network. This privilege escalation capability directly violates the principle of least privilege and can lead to complete system compromise. The vulnerability affects the integrity and availability of the entire WordPress platform, potentially resulting in data breaches, service disruption, and reputational damage for organizations relying on affected systems.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should include immediate implementation of the vendor's patch or update if available, though given the specific version range mentioned, it appears no fix has been released. Organizations should consider disabling the affected plugin until a secure version is available, implementing additional access controls through firewall rules, and monitoring for unauthorized administrative activities. Security teams should also conduct comprehensive audits of user permissions and registration processes to identify any other potential privilege escalation vectors. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this vulnerability maps to privilege escalation techniques and could be leveraged as part of broader attack chains targeting web application security. The vulnerability highlights the critical importance of proper privilege management in web applications and reinforces the need for thorough security testing of user registration and authentication mechanisms.