CVE-2024-12822
Published: 30 January 2025
Summary
CVE-2024-12822 is a critical-severity Missing Authorization (CWE-862) vulnerability in Userproplugin Media Manager. Its CVSS base score is 9.8 (Critical).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploit Public-Facing Application (T1190); ranked at the 44.4th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
The strongest mitigations our analysis identified are NIST 800-53 AC-3 (Access Enforcement) and AC-6 (Least Privilege).
Deeper analysis
CVE-2024-12822 affects the Media Manager for UserPro plugin for WordPress, specifically due to a missing capability check on the add_capto_img() function in all versions up to and including 3.11.0. This vulnerability enables unauthorized modification of data, leading to privilege escalation. It is classified under CWE-862 (Missing Authorization) with a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H), indicating critical severity with network accessibility, low attack complexity, no privileges or user interaction required, and high impacts across confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
Unauthenticated attackers can exploit this vulnerability remotely by calling the vulnerable function, allowing them to update arbitrary options on the WordPress site. Attackers can leverage this to change the default role for new user registrations to administrator and enable user registration, enabling them to create accounts with full administrative access to the site.
Advisories, including those from Wordfence, provide further details on the vulnerability, with references available at the plugin's CodeCanyon page and Wordfence threat intelligence. Security practitioners should consult these sources for mitigation guidance, such as updating the plugin.
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2024-51127
Vulnerability details
The Media Manager for UserPro plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized modification of data that can lead to privilege escalation due to a missing capability check on the add_capto_img() function in all versions up to, and including, 3.11.0. This…
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makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to update arbitrary options on the WordPress site. This can be leveraged to update the default role for registration to administrator and enable user registration for attackers to gain administrative user access to a vulnerable site.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise TechniquesAI
Why these techniques?
Direct remote unauthenticated exploitation of public-facing WordPress plugin (T1190) via missing authorization to achieve privilege escalation by modifying site options and creating admin accounts (T1068).
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI
Enforces approved authorizations for access to system resources, directly mitigating the missing capability check that allows unauthorized data modification and privilege escalation.
Implements the principle of least privilege, ensuring functions like add_capto_img() require appropriate capabilities to prevent unauthenticated attackers from updating arbitrary options.
Requires timely identification, reporting, and correction of flaws such as this plugin vulnerability, preventing exploitation through patching to version beyond 3.11.0.