CVE-2024-8326: s2Member Plugin Information Disclosure Flaw

CVE-2024-8326 Overview

The s2Member WordPress plugin contains a sensitive information exposure vulnerability in the sc_get_details function. The flaw affects all versions up to and including 241114. Authenticated attackers with Contributor-level access or higher can extract sensitive user data and database configuration information. The exposed information enables further attacks including reading, updating, or dropping database tables. The vulnerability was partially patched in version 241114.

Critical Impact
Contributor-level attackers can extract database credentials and sensitive user data, enabling database compromise including table modification and deletion.

Affected Products

s2Member WordPress plugin versions up to and including 241114
s2Member Free and Pro editions using the affected sc_get_details function
WordPress sites running the vulnerable membership and content restriction plugin

Discovery Timeline

2024-12-17 - CVE-2024-8326 published to NVD
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-8326

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability resides in the sc_get_details shortcode handler within the s2Member plugin. This function is designed to retrieve membership-related details but fails to enforce proper access controls on the data it exposes. Authenticated users with Contributor-level privileges or above can invoke the shortcode to retrieve information that should remain restricted to administrators.

The exposed data includes user records and database configuration details. An attacker armed with database credentials can pivot to direct database operations, reading confidential records, altering rows, or dropping tables entirely. The issue is classified under [CWE-200: Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor].

Root Cause

The root cause is missing authorization enforcement within the sc_get_details function defined in sc-gets-in.inc.php and sc-gets.inc.php. The function returns sensitive plugin state and configuration values without validating whether the requesting user should have access to that data. Contributor accounts, which normally lack administrative rights, retain the ability to render arbitrary shortcodes inside posts and thereby reach the vulnerable handler.

Attack Vector

An authenticated Contributor creates or edits a post containing the sc_get_details shortcode with parameters that request sensitive detail keys. When the post is previewed or rendered, the plugin executes the shortcode server-side and returns the exposed data to the attacker. No administrative interaction is required. The vulnerability manifests through legitimate shortcode processing in the WordPress rendering pipeline. See the Wordfence Vulnerability Analysis and the vulnerable source in sc-gets-in.inc.php for technical details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-8326

Indicators of Compromise

Post or page revisions authored by Contributor-level accounts containing sc_get_details or related s2Member shortcodes
Unexpected preview requests from low-privilege user accounts targeting draft content with embedded shortcodes
Database query logs showing access to configuration tables originating from web application traffic tied to Contributor sessions
New or modified WordPress accounts elevated to Contributor role prior to shortcode abuse

Detection Strategies

Audit WordPress post revisions for the presence of sc_get_details shortcode strings in Contributor-authored content
Correlate wp_posts insertions with subsequent preview requests to identify data extraction attempts
Inspect the s2Member plugin version across WordPress installations and flag any at or below 241114

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable WordPress audit logging for post creation, editing, and preview events performed by non-administrator roles
Monitor outbound HTTP responses containing plugin configuration keys or database connection parameters
Alert on any Contributor-role account performing more than a low threshold of post previews within a short window

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-8326

Immediate Actions Required

Update the s2Member plugin to the latest version available beyond 241114, since 241114 is only a partial patch
Review and reduce the number of accounts assigned Contributor role or higher, and remove unused accounts
Audit existing posts and drafts for the presence of sc_get_details shortcodes and remove any unauthorized usage
Rotate database credentials and any secrets that may have been exposed through the vulnerable function

Patch Information

The vendor released partial fixes in WordPress Changeset #3188157 and WordPress Changeset #3208315. Because the initial fix in version 241114 is only partial, administrators should track upstream releases from the s2Member plugin repository and apply subsequent updates as they are published.

Workarounds

Restrict the Contributor role using a WordPress capability management plugin to block shortcode preview rendering
Deploy a web application firewall rule that blocks POST requests containing the sc_get_details shortcode from non-administrator sessions
Temporarily deactivate the s2Member plugin on high-value sites until a complete patch is verified

bash

# Configuration example: identify vulnerable installations via WP-CLI
wp plugin get s2member --field=version
wp plugin update s2member
# Search all posts for the vulnerable shortcode
wp db query "SELECT ID, post_author, post_status FROM wp_posts WHERE post_content LIKE '%sc_get_details%';"