CVE-2024-33552: XStore Core Privilege Escalation Flaw

CVE-2024-33552 Overview

Improper Privilege Management vulnerability in 8theme XStore Core allows Privilege Escalation. This issue affects XStore Core: from n/a through 5.3.8.

Critical Impact

This vulnerability allows attackers to escalate privileges, potentially gaining unauthorized access to sensitive areas or functionality.

Affected Products

• 8theme xstore_core

Discovery Timeline

• 2024-05-17 - CVE CVE-2024-33552 published to NVD
• 2025-04-10 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-33552

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is due to improper privilege management within the 8theme XStore Core plugin for WordPress. This flaw could enable an attacker to perform actions beyond their intended permissions, leading to privilege escalation.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper privilege management in the codebase of the XStore Core plugin, leading to a lack of adequate access control.

Attack Vector

The vulnerability can be exploited over the network, allowing remote attackers to escalate privileges.

// Example exploitation code (sanitized)
fetch('/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php', {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: {
        'Content-Type': 'application/x-www-form-urlencoded'
    },
    body: 'action=unauthorized_escalation'
});

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-33552

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected administrative actions in logs
• Changes in user role permissions
• Unauthorized access logs

Detection Strategies

Deploy monitoring to track administrative actions and changes in user permissions. Look for anomalies in access logs that indicate privilege misuse.

Monitoring Recommendations

Continuous monitoring using SIEM tools to detect unauthorized module loads or privilege escalations. Integrate with SentinelOne for real-time threat detection and response.

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-33552

Immediate Actions Required

• Update to the latest version of the XStore Core plugin.
• Audit and review current user permissions.
• Implement network-level security controls to detect unauthorized access attempts.

Patch Information

Updates are available from the vendor to address the privilege management flaw. Ensure all systems are running the patched version.

Workarounds

Restrict access to the /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php endpoint to trusted IPs, and utilize WordPress security plugins to manage permissions.

# Configuration example
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 80 -s trusted_ip --dport 443 -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 80 -j DROP