CVE-2025-23929 in Email Capture & Lead Generation Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 01/16/2025
Missing Authorization vulnerability in wishfulthemes Email Capture & Lead Generation allows Exploiting Incorrectly Configured Access Control Security Levels.This issue affects Email Capture & Lead Generation: from n/a through 1.0.2.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 01/16/2025
This vulnerability represents a critical missing authorization flaw that undermines the fundamental access control mechanisms within the wishfulthemes Email Capture & Lead Generation plugin. The security weakness stems from improperly configured access control security levels that fail to validate user permissions before granting access to sensitive functionality. Attackers can exploit this misconfiguration to bypass intended authorization checks and gain unauthorized access to lead generation data and email capture features. The vulnerability exists across all versions from the initial release through version 1.0.2, indicating a persistent flaw in the plugin's security architecture that was not adequately addressed during development cycles. This type of access control misconfiguration directly aligns with CWE-284 which categorizes improper access control as a significant security weakness that can lead to unauthorized data exposure and system compromise.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability manifests through insufficient validation of user roles and permissions within the plugin's core functionality. When users interact with the email capture and lead generation features, the system fails to properly verify whether the requesting user possesses the necessary authorization levels to perform specific actions. This allows malicious actors to manipulate access requests or exploit weaknesses in the authentication flow to gain access to restricted areas of the plugin. The flaw essentially creates a pathway where unauthorized users can bypass normal security boundaries and access functionality that should only be available to administrators or authorized personnel. From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to data integrity and privacy, as it enables unauthorized access to potentially sensitive lead information and email capture data that organizations rely on for marketing and customer relationship management.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data exposure to encompass potential system compromise and regulatory compliance violations. Organizations using affected versions of the plugin may face unauthorized access to their customer lead databases, which could result in data breaches and violation of privacy regulations such as gdpr or ccpa. The vulnerability creates opportunities for attackers to harvest email addresses and lead information without proper authorization, potentially enabling spam campaigns or identity theft activities. Security professionals should note that this issue demonstrates poor security design practices that violate established security principles and can be exploited through automated scanning tools or manual exploitation techniques. The persistence of this vulnerability across multiple versions suggests inadequate security testing and code review processes during the plugin development lifecycle.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability should focus on immediate implementation of proper access control validation mechanisms within the plugin's codebase. Administrators should upgrade to the latest available version of the Email Capture & Lead Generation plugin where the authorization flaw has been addressed through proper access control implementation. Organizations should conduct comprehensive security assessments of their plugin installations to identify any potential exploitation that may have occurred during the vulnerability's existence. The fix should implement robust user permission checking before allowing access to sensitive features and ensure that all access control decisions are validated through secure authentication mechanisms. Security teams should also review their plugin management processes to ensure proper vetting and testing of third-party components before deployment. This vulnerability underscores the importance of adhering to security best practices outlined in the mitre attack framework, particularly those related to privilege escalation and unauthorized access techniques that attackers commonly employ to exploit similar access control weaknesses.