CVE-2024-43355 Overview
CVE-2024-43355 is a missing authorization vulnerability in the BearDev JoomSport plugin for WordPress. The flaw affects all versions of JoomSport up to and including 5.3.0 and stems from incorrectly configured access control security levels [CWE-862]. Authenticated attackers with low privileges can invoke plugin functionality that should be restricted to higher-privileged users. The vulnerability is network-exploitable over HTTP and impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected WordPress installation.
Critical Impact
Low-privileged WordPress users can bypass access control checks in JoomSport to modify plugin data and configuration, leading to compromise of the affected site.
Affected Products
- BearDev JoomSport for WordPress versions up to and including 5.3.0
- WordPress sites running the JoomSport Sports League Results Management plugin
- Deployments where JoomSport endpoints are reachable by authenticated users
Discovery Timeline
- 2024-11-01 - CVE-2024-43355 published to NVD
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2024-43355
Vulnerability Analysis
The JoomSport plugin exposes actions that lack proper capability or role verification. The plugin's request handlers do not consistently validate that the calling user holds the required WordPress capability before executing privileged operations. Attackers authenticated as any low-privilege role, such as subscriber, can invoke these endpoints to perform actions intended for administrators.
Because the exposed functions operate on plugin-managed data structures, successful exploitation can alter sports leagues, seasons, teams, players, and related configuration. Attackers can also leverage the flaw to pivot toward broader site compromise depending on which handlers are reachable. The vulnerability requires only network access and valid low-privilege credentials, and no user interaction is needed.
Root Cause
The root cause is a missing authorization check [CWE-862] in one or more JoomSport request handlers. The code paths rely on the presence of an authenticated session but do not call current_user_can() or verify a matching nonce with an authorization gate. Any authenticated user can therefore reach code intended for site administrators.
Attack Vector
Exploitation requires an authenticated WordPress account with low privileges. The attacker sends crafted HTTP requests to JoomSport AJAX or admin-post endpoints exposed by the plugin. Because access control is not enforced, the plugin executes the requested action under the attacker's session. No specialized tooling is required beyond a standard HTTP client and valid credentials on the target site.
For a full technical breakdown, see the Patchstack Vulnerability Analysis.
Detection Methods for CVE-2024-43355
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected changes to JoomSport data such as leagues, seasons, teams, or player records made by non-administrator accounts.
- HTTP POST requests to JoomSport plugin endpoints (admin-ajax.php with JoomSport action parameters) originating from subscriber-level accounts.
- Creation or modification of WordPress content by users whose assigned role should not permit those actions.
Detection Strategies
- Review WordPress access and application logs for authenticated requests to JoomSport endpoints from low-privilege roles.
- Enable audit logging for role and capability changes, plugin option updates, and JoomSport database table writes.
- Correlate authentication events with subsequent plugin action calls to identify abuse of low-privileged accounts.
Monitoring Recommendations
- Alert on HTTP requests to wp-admin/admin-ajax.php containing JoomSport action names from users lacking administrative capabilities.
- Monitor for anomalous write activity in JoomSport plugin tables outside of administrator-driven change windows.
- Track new or elevated user account creation immediately following JoomSport endpoint activity.
How to Mitigate CVE-2024-43355
Immediate Actions Required
- Upgrade JoomSport to a version later than 5.3.0 where the vendor has addressed the missing authorization checks.
- Audit existing WordPress user accounts and remove or downgrade unused low-privilege accounts that could be leveraged for exploitation.
- Rotate credentials for any accounts that show suspicious JoomSport endpoint activity.
Patch Information
BearDev has issued a fixed release addressed through the plugin's update channel. Refer to the Patchstack Vulnerability Analysis for the fixed version reference and update instructions. Apply the update through the WordPress plugin manager or by deploying the vendor-provided package.
Workarounds
- Restrict registration on WordPress sites to limit the pool of low-privilege accounts available to attackers.
- Deploy a web application firewall (WAF) rule to block unauthenticated and low-privilege access to JoomSport AJAX actions.
- Temporarily disable the JoomSport plugin on sites that cannot be updated until the patched version is applied.
# Configuration example: disable JoomSport via WP-CLI until patched
wp plugin deactivate joomsport-sports-league-results-management
wp plugin update joomsport-sports-league-results-management
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
