CVE-2024-11028: Icdsoft Multimanager WP Auth Bypass Issue

CVE-2024-11028 Overview

CVE-2024-11028 is a critical authentication bypass vulnerability in the MultiManager WP – Manage All Your WordPress Sites Easily plugin for WordPress. The vulnerability affects all versions up to and including 1.0.5 and stems from a flawed user impersonation feature that inappropriately determines the current user via user-supplied input. This allows unauthenticated attackers to generate an impersonation link that grants them access as any existing user, including administrators.

Critical Impact

Unauthenticated attackers can completely compromise WordPress sites by impersonating administrator accounts, leading to full site takeover, data theft, and malicious content injection.

Affected Products

• icdsoft MultiManager WP versions up to and including 1.0.5
• MultiManager WP 1.1.0 (user impersonation feature disabled as temporary fix)
• MultiManager WP versions prior to 1.1.2 (patched version)

Discovery Timeline

• 2024-11-13 - CVE-2024-11028 published to NVD
• 2024-11-19 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-11028

Vulnerability Analysis

This authentication bypass vulnerability (CWE-288: Authentication Bypass Using an Alternate Path or Channel) exists in the user impersonation feature of the MultiManager WP plugin. The core issue lies in how the plugin determines user identity during the impersonation process. Rather than relying on secure, server-side session validation, the vulnerable code accepts user-supplied input to establish which user account should be accessed.

The impersonation mechanism was designed to help administrators manage multiple WordPress sites efficiently by allowing quick user switching. However, the implementation failed to properly validate and authenticate the source of impersonation requests, creating a direct path for unauthenticated attackers to abuse this functionality.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper input validation in the user impersonation feature. The plugin fails to implement adequate authentication checks before processing impersonation requests, allowing attackers to craft malicious requests that specify arbitrary user accounts. Without proper verification that the request originates from a legitimately authenticated and authorized user, the plugin processes these requests and grants access to the target account.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based and requires no authentication or user interaction. An attacker can exploit this vulnerability remotely by:

1. Identifying a WordPress site running a vulnerable version of MultiManager WP
2. Crafting a malicious impersonation link that specifies an administrator account
3. Using the generated link to authenticate as the target user
4. Gaining full administrative access to the WordPress installation

The vulnerability does not require any prior authentication, making it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited by any remote attacker who can reach the vulnerable WordPress site. Once administrative access is obtained, attackers can install backdoors, modify content, steal sensitive data, or use the compromised site for further attacks.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-11028

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected administrator login events in WordPress audit logs without corresponding legitimate access
• Creation of new administrator accounts or modification of existing user privileges
• Unusual access patterns to the MultiManager WP plugin endpoints
• Presence of unauthorized plugins, themes, or file modifications following suspicious authentication events

Detection Strategies

• Monitor WordPress authentication logs for login events associated with the MultiManager WP impersonation functionality
• Review web server access logs for requests to MultiManager WP plugin endpoints from unfamiliar IP addresses
• Implement file integrity monitoring to detect unauthorized changes following potential exploitation
• Deploy web application firewall (WAF) rules to identify and block suspicious impersonation-related requests

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable comprehensive logging for all WordPress authentication events and user session activity
• Configure alerts for administrative actions performed immediately after impersonation link access
• Regularly audit user accounts and privileges for unauthorized changes
• Monitor for new or modified files in the WordPress installation directory

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-11028

Immediate Actions Required

• Update MultiManager WP to version 1.1.2 or later immediately
• Audit all WordPress user accounts for unauthorized access or privilege changes
• Review recent authentication logs for signs of exploitation
• Consider temporarily disabling the MultiManager WP plugin if immediate update is not possible

Patch Information

The vendor addressed this vulnerability through multiple updates. The user impersonation feature was initially disabled in version 1.1.0 as an interim measure, and a proper security patch was implemented in version 1.1.2. Site administrators should update to the latest available version to ensure full protection.

For detailed information on the security patches, refer to the WordPress Plugin Changeset 3184657, WordPress Plugin Changeset 3184678, and WordPress Plugin Changeset 3184826. Additional vulnerability details are available in the Wordfence Vulnerability Report.

Workarounds

• Disable the MultiManager WP plugin entirely until the update can be applied
• Implement network-level access restrictions to limit who can reach WordPress administrative endpoints
• Configure a web application firewall to block requests targeting the vulnerable impersonation functionality
• Enable two-factor authentication for all WordPress administrator accounts as a defense-in-depth measure

# Disable the MultiManager WP plugin via WP-CLI
wp plugin deactivate multimanager-wp

# Update to the patched version
wp plugin update multimanager-wp

# Verify the installed version
wp plugin list --name=multimanager-wp --fields=name,version,status