CVE-2024-5973 in MasterStudy LMS Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 07/22/2024
The MasterStudy LMS WordPress Plugin WordPress plugin before 3.3.24 does not prevent students from creating instructor accounts, which could be used to get access to functionalities they shouldn't have.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/26/2024
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-5973 affects the MasterStudy LMS WordPress plugin version 3.3.23 and earlier, presenting a significant access control flaw that undermines the security model of the learning management system. This issue stems from insufficient authorization checks within the plugin's user account creation mechanisms, allowing unauthorized users to escalate their privileges from student level to instructor status without proper administrative oversight. The vulnerability represents a classic privilege escalation weakness that directly violates the principle of least privilege and could enable malicious actors to gain unauthorized access to sensitive course materials, student data, and administrative functions typically restricted to authorized instructors.
The technical flaw manifests in the plugin's insufficient validation and authorization controls during the user registration and account creation process. When students attempt to create accounts or when the system processes account modifications, the plugin fails to properly verify whether the requesting user possesses the necessary permissions to assume instructor roles. This weakness creates an exploitable path where any authenticated user can manipulate the account creation process to gain elevated privileges, effectively bypassing the intended role-based access controls. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-284, which specifically addresses improper access control, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1078.101 focusing on valid accounts with insufficient privileges. The flaw likely exists in the plugin's user role assignment logic where the system does not properly validate the requesting user's current role before permitting role modifications or account creation that could result in instructor-level access.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple privilege escalation, as it creates potential pathways for data breaches, unauthorized course modifications, and exposure of sensitive educational information. An attacker who exploits this vulnerability could gain access to student personal information, course content, grading systems, and other administrative features that should remain restricted to legitimate instructors and administrators. This access could enable malicious activities such as grade manipulation, unauthorized course publishing, data exfiltration, and the creation of fraudulent course materials that could undermine the integrity of the entire learning platform. The vulnerability particularly affects educational institutions that rely on the MasterStudy LMS plugin for their online course delivery, potentially exposing them to regulatory compliance issues under data protection frameworks like GDPR or FERPA, depending on the jurisdiction and type of data handled.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should prioritize immediate plugin updates to version 3.3.24 or later, which contains the necessary fixes to address the access control flaw. System administrators should also implement additional monitoring of user account creation activities and role modifications to detect any suspicious privilege escalation attempts. The remediation process should include reviewing existing user permissions and ensuring that only authorized administrators can modify user roles within the system. Organizations should consider implementing network-level controls and access logging to track user activities that could indicate exploitation attempts. Security hardening measures should include disabling unnecessary user registration features and implementing multi-factor authentication for administrative accounts. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of regular security assessments of third-party plugins and maintaining up-to-date security practices as recommended by the OWASP Top Ten project, particularly addressing the risks associated with insufficient logging and monitoring. Additionally, organizations should conduct regular security training for administrators to recognize potential exploitation patterns and maintain updated security incident response procedures to address potential breaches.