CVE-2024-49644 Overview
CVE-2024-49644 is a privilege escalation vulnerability in the Accessibility by AllAccessible WordPress plugin. The flaw affects all versions up to and including 1.3.4. It stems from incorrect privilege assignment [CWE-266], allowing authenticated low-privilege users to elevate their permissions on affected WordPress sites.
The issue exposes WordPress installations to full site compromise. A successful attack grants an adversary administrative capabilities, including content modification, plugin installation, and access to backend data.
Critical Impact
An authenticated attacker with low-level privileges can escalate to administrator, leading to complete WordPress site takeover.
Affected Products
- Accessibility by AllAccessible WordPress plugin
- All versions up to and including 1.3.4
- WordPress sites running the vulnerable plugin
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-01-07 - CVE-2024-49644 published to the National Vulnerability Database (NVD)
- 2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2024-49644
Vulnerability Analysis
The vulnerability resides in the Accessibility by AllAccessible plugin's handling of user privileges. The plugin incorrectly assigns capabilities to authenticated users. This allows a user with minimal role assignment, such as a subscriber, to perform actions reserved for administrators.
The attack requires network access and authenticated access with low privileges. No user interaction is required. Successful exploitation compromises confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the WordPress site.
Root Cause
The root cause is an incorrect privilege assignment weakness classified under [CWE-266]. The plugin does not properly validate the capabilities of the requesting user before executing privileged actions. Access control checks either rely on client-controlled parameters or bypass WordPress role verification entirely.
As a result, the plugin extends elevated privileges to accounts that should not possess them. This breaks the principle of least privilege and creates a path to full administrative control.
Attack Vector
An attacker registers or obtains any low-privileged account on a WordPress site running Accessibility by AllAccessible version 1.3.4 or earlier. The attacker then invokes plugin functionality that improperly grants elevated capabilities. Once escalated, the attacker installs malicious plugins, modifies site content, or extracts sensitive data.
For technical exploitation specifics, see the Patchstack Vulnerability Analysis.
Detection Methods for CVE-2024-49644
Indicators of Compromise
- Unexpected role changes for subscriber or contributor accounts in the WordPress wp_usermeta table
- New administrator accounts created without corresponding audit log entries
- Installation of unfamiliar plugins or themes shortly after login events from low-privileged accounts
- HTTP POST requests targeting AllAccessible plugin AJAX endpoints from non-admin sessions
Detection Strategies
- Audit WordPress user roles and capabilities for accounts that were recently registered or modified
- Review web server access logs for requests to AllAccessible plugin endpoints originating from low-privileged user sessions
- Correlate authentication events with subsequent privilege changes recorded in the database
Monitoring Recommendations
- Enable WordPress audit logging plugins to capture role and capability changes in real time
- Monitor for changes to the wp_users and wp_usermeta tables outside of expected administrative workflows
- Alert on new plugin or theme installations triggered by non-administrator accounts
How to Mitigate CVE-2024-49644
Immediate Actions Required
- Update Accessibility by AllAccessible to a version later than 1.3.4 once a patched release is available from the vendor
- Audit all WordPress user accounts and remove any suspicious administrator-level users
- Restrict user registration on affected WordPress sites until remediation is complete
- Rotate credentials for all administrator accounts on impacted installations
Patch Information
At the time of publication, the vulnerability affects Accessibility by AllAccessible from unspecified versions through 1.3.4. Site administrators should consult the Patchstack Vulnerability Analysis for the latest patched version and update the plugin through the WordPress admin dashboard.
Workarounds
- Deactivate and remove the Accessibility by AllAccessible plugin until a patched version is installed
- Deploy a web application firewall (WAF) rule to block requests targeting vulnerable AllAccessible endpoints
- Disable open user registration by setting Anyone can register to off under WordPress general settings
- Restrict default new user roles to Subscriber and review plugin capability grants
# Disable the vulnerable plugin via WP-CLI
wp plugin deactivate allaccessible
wp plugin delete allaccessible
# Disable open user registration
wp option update users_can_register 0
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
