CVE-2024-47308: Templately Auth Bypass Vulnerability

CVE-2024-47308 Overview

CVE-2024-47308 is a critical Missing Authorization vulnerability affecting the WPDeveloper Templately plugin for WordPress. This broken access control vulnerability allows unauthenticated attackers to bypass authorization checks and perform unauthorized actions on affected WordPress sites. The vulnerability exists in Templately versions through 3.1.2, exposing WordPress installations to potential compromise without requiring user interaction or authentication.

Critical Impact

This Missing Authorization vulnerability allows unauthenticated remote attackers to bypass access controls, potentially leading to complete site compromise including data theft, content modification, and privilege escalation.

Affected Products

• Templately WordPress plugin versions up to and including 3.1.2
• WordPress installations using vulnerable Templately plugin versions

Discovery Timeline

• 2024-11-01 - CVE CVE-2024-47308 published to NVD
• 2026-04-01 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-47308

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-862 (Missing Authorization), a critical security flaw where the application fails to perform proper authorization checks before allowing access to protected functionality or resources. In the context of the Templately WordPress plugin, this means that certain plugin functions or API endpoints can be accessed by unauthorized users, including unauthenticated visitors.

The vulnerability enables network-based attacks with low complexity, requiring no privileges or user interaction. Successful exploitation can result in high-impact compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected WordPress installation.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2024-47308 lies in the Templately plugin's failure to implement proper authorization checks on one or more critical functions. When a WordPress plugin exposes AJAX handlers, REST API endpoints, or other callable functions without verifying that the requesting user has appropriate permissions, attackers can directly invoke these functions to perform privileged operations.

In WordPress plugin development, authorization should be enforced using capability checks via functions like current_user_can() or role verification. The absence of these checks in Templately versions up to 3.1.2 allows the bypass of intended access controls.

Attack Vector

The attack vector for this vulnerability is network-based, meaning attackers can exploit it remotely over the internet without requiring local access to the target system. The exploitation process typically involves:

1. Identifying WordPress sites running vulnerable Templately plugin versions
2. Locating the unprotected AJAX action or REST endpoint
3. Crafting malicious requests to invoke privileged functionality without authentication
4. Executing unauthorized operations such as modifying site content, accessing sensitive data, or escalating privileges

Given the high EPSS percentile (97.677%), this vulnerability is more likely to be exploited in the wild compared to the vast majority of other vulnerabilities.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-47308

Indicators of Compromise

• Unexpected modifications to WordPress posts, pages, or templates without corresponding admin activity
• Suspicious entries in web server access logs showing requests to Templately plugin endpoints from unknown or malicious IP addresses
• Unexplained changes to user accounts or permissions within WordPress
• New or modified files within the Templately plugin directory or WordPress uploads folder

Detection Strategies

• Monitor WordPress AJAX and REST API requests for unusual patterns targeting Templately plugin endpoints
• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block unauthorized access attempts to known vulnerable endpoints
• Review WordPress audit logs for privilege escalation or unauthorized content modifications
• Deploy runtime application security monitoring to detect missing authorization bypass attempts

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable comprehensive logging for all WordPress plugin AJAX handlers and REST API endpoints
• Configure alerts for failed authentication attempts and suspicious access patterns targeting the Templately plugin
• Regularly audit installed plugin versions and compare against known vulnerability databases
• Implement file integrity monitoring for WordPress core, theme, and plugin directories

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-47308

Immediate Actions Required

• Update the Templately plugin to the latest patched version immediately
• Audit WordPress user accounts and permissions for any unauthorized changes
• Review WordPress posts, pages, and templates for unauthorized modifications
• Implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with rules to block exploitation attempts
• Consider temporarily disabling the Templately plugin if an immediate update is not possible

Patch Information

WordPress administrators should update the Templately plugin to a version newer than 3.1.2 that contains the security fix. Updates can be applied through the WordPress admin dashboard under Plugins → Updates, or by downloading the latest version directly from the WordPress plugin repository.

For additional technical details about this vulnerability, refer to the Patchstack Templately Plugin Vulnerability advisory.

Workarounds

• Temporarily disable the Templately plugin until a patched version can be installed
• Implement server-level access controls to restrict access to Templately plugin endpoints
• Deploy a WAF rule to block unauthenticated requests to vulnerable AJAX actions or REST endpoints
• Restrict WordPress admin access to trusted IP addresses only as a defense-in-depth measure