CVE-2024-56273: WPvivid Backup Auth Bypass Vulnerability

CVE-2024-56273 Overview

CVE-2024-56273 is a Missing Authorization vulnerability affecting the WPvivid Backup and Migration plugin for WordPress. This broken access control flaw allows unauthenticated attackers to access functionality that should be properly constrained by Access Control Lists (ACLs), potentially leading to unauthorized access to sensitive backup operations and site data.

Critical Impact

Unauthenticated attackers can bypass authorization controls to access backup and migration functionality, potentially leading to complete site compromise, data exfiltration, or malicious backup manipulation.

Affected Products

• WPvivid Backup and Migration plugin versions through 0.9.106
• WordPress installations running vulnerable WPvivid plugin versions
• Sites using wpvivid-backuprestore plugin for backup operations

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-01-07 - CVE-2024-56273 published to NVD
• 2026-04-01 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-56273

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability stems from missing authorization checks (CWE-862) in the WPvivid Backup and Migration plugin. The plugin fails to properly validate user permissions before allowing access to critical backup and migration functionality. Without proper authorization enforcement, attackers can interact with protected endpoints and operations that should require administrative privileges.

The impact is severe because backup plugins typically have extensive access to site content, database information, and configuration files. An attacker exploiting this vulnerability could potentially download existing backups containing sensitive data, create new backups to exfiltrate information, or manipulate backup configurations to facilitate further attacks.

Root Cause

The root cause is the absence of proper capability checks and nonce verification in certain plugin functions. WordPress plugins should verify that users have appropriate capabilities (such as manage_options or custom capabilities) before executing privileged operations. The WPvivid plugin in affected versions does not implement these authorization checks consistently, allowing functionality to be accessed without proper constraint by ACLs.

Attack Vector

The attack is network-based and requires no authentication or user interaction. An attacker can remotely target vulnerable WordPress installations by sending crafted requests to plugin endpoints. Since no privileges are required, any unauthenticated user on the network can attempt exploitation.

The attack flow typically involves:

1. Identifying WordPress sites running vulnerable WPvivid plugin versions
2. Sending direct requests to unprotected plugin AJAX handlers or REST endpoints
3. Accessing backup functionality without authentication
4. Downloading existing backups or triggering new backup operations to access sensitive site data

Due to the nature of backup plugins having extensive file system and database access, successful exploitation can lead to complete compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected WordPress installation.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-56273

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual requests to WPvivid plugin AJAX handlers from unauthenticated sources
• Unexpected backup files being created or accessed in the wp-content/wpvividbackups/ directory
• Anomalous download activity for large backup archive files
• Access log entries showing requests to admin-ajax.php with WPvivid-related action parameters from unknown IPs

Detection Strategies

• Monitor web server access logs for requests to admin-ajax.php containing wpvivid action parameters from unauthenticated sessions
• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block unauthorized access attempts to backup plugin endpoints
• Deploy file integrity monitoring on backup directories to detect unauthorized backup creation or access
• Review WordPress audit logs for backup operations initiated without corresponding admin authentication events

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed logging for all WPvivid plugin operations and review regularly
• Set up alerts for backup file access from non-administrative IP addresses
• Monitor outbound network traffic for large data transfers that may indicate backup exfiltration
• Implement rate limiting on plugin AJAX endpoints to detect and slow brute-force access attempts

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-56273

Immediate Actions Required

• Update WPvivid Backup and Migration plugin to a version newer than 0.9.106 immediately
• Audit existing backups for unauthorized access or creation
• Review access logs for signs of exploitation during the vulnerable period
• Consider temporarily disabling the plugin until patched if immediate update is not possible
• Change database credentials and WordPress secret keys if compromise is suspected

Patch Information

The vulnerability affects WPvivid Backup and Migration plugin versions through 0.9.106. Site administrators should update to the latest available version that addresses this authorization bypass issue. For detailed vulnerability information, refer to the Patchstack WordPress Vulnerability Report.

Workarounds

• Restrict access to admin-ajax.php for unauthenticated users at the web server level if plugin update is not immediately possible
• Implement IP-based access controls to limit who can reach WordPress admin functionality
• Use a Web Application Firewall to block suspicious requests targeting WPvivid plugin endpoints
• Temporarily deactivate the WPvivid plugin until a patched version can be installed

# Apache .htaccess workaround to restrict admin-ajax.php access
# Place in WordPress root directory (temporary mitigation only)
<Files admin-ajax.php>
    Order Deny,Allow
    Deny from all
    # Allow specific trusted IPs
    Allow from 192.168.1.0/24
    Allow from 10.0.0.0/8
</Files>