CVE-2024-30465: PageLayer Authorization Bypass Vulnerability

CVE-2024-30465 Overview

CVE-2024-30465 is a missing authorization vulnerability [CWE-862] in the PageLayer WordPress plugin developed by the Pagelayer Team. The flaw affects all versions of PageLayer up to and including 1.8.1. Authenticated attackers with low-level privileges can access functionality that should require higher authorization, leading to compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability on the affected WordPress site.

Critical Impact
A low-privileged authenticated user can exploit broken access control in PageLayer to perform actions reserved for higher-privileged roles, potentially altering site content, plugin behavior, and configuration.

Affected Products

PageLayer WordPress plugin versions up to and including 1.8.1
WordPress sites running the Pagelayer Team PageLayer page builder
Any WordPress installation exposing PageLayer AJAX or REST endpoints to authenticated subscribers or contributors

Discovery Timeline

2024-06-09 - CVE-2024-30465 published to NVD
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-30465

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability stems from missing authorization checks in one or more PageLayer plugin endpoints. WordPress plugins typically enforce authorization using current_user_can() capability checks alongside nonce validation. PageLayer versions through 1.8.1 fail to consistently verify that the requesting user holds the capability required for the invoked action.

An attacker holding any authenticated session, including a subscriber account on sites that allow open registration, can invoke privileged plugin actions. According to the Patchstack Vulnerability Report, the flaw is categorized as broken access control affecting the plugin's administrative functionality.

Root Cause

The root cause is the absence of capability enforcement on plugin action handlers. The affected code paths either omit current_user_can() checks entirely or rely solely on nonce verification, which authenticates the request origin but not the requester's privilege level. This design gap collapses the boundary between subscriber and administrator actions within the plugin's request routing.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires network access and a valid authenticated session with low privileges. The attacker sends a crafted HTTP request to a PageLayer plugin endpoint that would normally be restricted to editors or administrators. Because the endpoint does not verify the caller's capabilities, the server processes the request and executes the privileged action. No user interaction is required beyond the attacker's authenticated request.

The vulnerability manifests in PageLayer's WordPress action handlers. See the linked Patchstack advisory for endpoint-specific technical details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-30465

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected modifications to WordPress pages, posts, or PageLayer templates by non-administrative accounts
HTTP POST requests to admin-ajax.php with PageLayer-related action parameters originating from subscriber or contributor sessions
Newly created or altered plugin configuration entries in the wp_options table without corresponding administrator activity
Anomalous session activity from low-privileged accounts accessing plugin management functions

Detection Strategies

Audit WordPress access logs for requests to PageLayer AJAX endpoints paired with cookies belonging to low-privileged users
Compare user role activity against expected capability boundaries, flagging subscribers who invoke plugin editor actions
Monitor the WordPress audit trail using a security plugin that records capability checks and content modifications

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable verbose logging on wp-admin/admin-ajax.php and correlate action names with the invoking user role
Track file integrity on the wp-content/plugins/pagelayer/ directory to detect unauthorized template or configuration changes
Alert on privilege-mismatch patterns where an account performs actions inconsistent with its assigned WordPress role

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-30465

Immediate Actions Required

Update the PageLayer plugin to a version newer than 1.8.1 that includes the fix referenced in the Patchstack advisory
Review WordPress user accounts and remove or downgrade unnecessary subscriber and contributor accounts
Disable open user registration on public-facing WordPress sites until patching is complete
Rotate credentials for administrator and editor accounts if unauthorized content changes are observed

Patch Information

Upgrade PageLayer to a release later than 1.8.1. Consult the Patchstack Vulnerability Report for the fixed version reference and vendor changelog details.

Workarounds

Temporarily deactivate the PageLayer plugin on sites unable to apply the update immediately
Restrict access to wp-admin/admin-ajax.php from unauthenticated and low-privileged sessions using a Web Application Firewall (WAF) rule
Block PageLayer-specific action parameters at the WAF layer when the request originates from non-editor roles

bash

# Configuration example: WAF rule concept to block PageLayer AJAX actions from low-privileged sessions
# Pseudocode for a ModSecurity-style rule
SecRule REQUEST_URI "@endsWith /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php" \
  "chain,deny,status:403,id:1030465,msg:'Block PageLayer AJAX from low-privileged users'"
SecRule ARGS:action "@rx ^pagelayer_" \
  "chain"
SecRule REQUEST_COOKIES:/wordpress_logged_in_/ "@rx subscriber|contributor"