Description
A critical vulnerability has been identified in the SV100 Companion plugin for WordPress. This vulnerability allows unauthorized modification of data that can lead to privilege escalation due to a missing capability check on the settings_import() function.
Affected Product(s)
- SV100 Companion Plugin for WordPress (Versions up to and including 2.0.02)
Technical Details
The SV100 Companion plugin developed by Straightvisions is an enhancement plugin for WordPress that allows users to customize and extend the functionality of their WordPress sites. This plugin, however, suffers from a critical security flaw.
The issue lies in the settings_import() function, which lacks proper capability checks before executing its code. The settings_import() function is intended to import various settings for the plugin, allowing administrators to easily migrate configurations between different sites or setups. However, it does not verify the identity or permissions of the user making the request. This omission allows unauthenticated attackers to invoke the function and alter the site’s configurations, which can have dire consequences.
An attacker exploiting this vulnerability can update arbitrary options on the WordPress site. This might include changing the default user role for new registrations to ‘administrator’, thereby granting themselves administrative access upon registering a new account on the site. This level of access enables the attacker to potentially hijack the entire site, modify site content, install malicious plugins, view or delete sensitive data, and more.
Further analysis of the SV100 Companion plugin codebase, specifically in the file ‘sv_settings.php’ at line 47, demonstrates the lack of user authentication checks. This raises the possibility that simple web requests to the vulnerable endpoint can manipulate essential configuration parameters.
According to Wordfence, the vulnerability has a Unique Identifier CVE-2024-12155 and ranks critically with a CVSSv3 score of 9.8. The high CVSS score reflects the ease and potential impact of the exploit. Despite its ease of exploitation, the plugin had no inherent mechanisms to thwart such unauthorized actions. The vulnerability is associated with CWE-862: Missing Authorization, which suggests that proper authentication mechanisms to verify the user’s permissions are either improperly implemented or entirely lacking. Administrators of WordPress sites using SV100 Companion must scrutinize their site’s configurations and user roles for any signs of tampering.
Attackers leveraging CVE-2024-12155 might leave evidence in the form of newly created administrator accounts or unauthorized changes to site settings. Maintaining updated versions of plugins and reviewing change logs for any unusual activities can provide some level of defense against such vulnerabilities.
WordPress administrators must implement additional layers of security measures, including the application of access control lists (ACLs), multi-factor authentication (MFA), and continuous monitoring for suspicious activities, to mitigate potential exploitation attempts of this nature.
As it stands, the SV100 Companion plugin’s vulnerability requires immediate attention and remediation to prevent serious security breaches stemming from unauthorized changes to site-wide configurations, which could lead to full administrative takeover and extensive damage to WordPress-based websites.
Weakness
This vulnerability is characterized by the missing authorization in the settings_import() function. Specifically, the function does not check user capabilities or permissions before allowing them to import settings. This allows attackers to manipulate the system without authentication.
Impact Assessment
If exploited, this vulnerability could allow an attacker to gain unauthorized administrative access to the WordPress site. This would permit the attacker to control the site completely, including adding, deleting, or modifying content; installing or removing plugins; and accessing sensitive data. The site could be used to distribute malware, redirect users to malicious sites, or serve as a launchpad for further attacks.
Active Exploitation
We have observed activity from various adversaries exploiting the CVE-2024-12155 vulnerability. These adversaries leverage the lack of proper authorization checks to gain administrative access and manipulate the WordPress settings to their benefit.
Ransomware Association
There is currently no direct association of CVE-2024-12155 with specific ransomware attacks. However, the administrative access gained by exploiting this vulnerability could potentially be used to install ransomware on the servers or client systems accessed through the compromised WordPress site.
Mitigation and Resolution
We have released a patch that addresses this vulnerability. Please update the SV100 Companion plugin to version 2.0.03 or later immediately. The update ensures that proper capability checks are in place to prevent unauthorized data modifications.
Recommendations
- We strongly recommend that all customers apply the latest patch as soon as possible.
- To update the plugin, navigate to the WordPress Dashboard, go to ‘Plugins’, find ‘SV100 Companion’, and click ‘Update Now’.
- Consider implementing additional security measures such as multi-factor authentication (MFA) and access control lists (ACLs).
- Regularly review and audit user roles and permissions to ensure no unauthorized changes have been made.
- Monitor your WordPress site for any unusual activity that might indicate tampering, such as unexpected new administrator accounts.
- Disable user registration temporarily if it is not urgently required to avoid potential abuse of the vulnerability by new registrations.
References