CVE-2024-50487
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes an authentication bypass vulnerability in the MaanStore API WordPress plugin that allows attackers to gain unauthorized access without valid credentials. It affects all WordPress sites running MaanStore API plugin versions up to and including 1.0.1. Attackers can potentially take over user accounts or gain administrative privileges.
💻 Affected Systems
- WordPress MaanStore API Plugin
📦 What is this software?
Maanstore Api by Maantheme
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete site compromise with administrative access, data theft, malware injection, and defacement.
Likely Case
Unauthorized access to user accounts, privilege escalation, and potential data exfiltration.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper network segmentation, strong authentication controls, and monitoring.
🎯 Exploit Status
Authentication bypass vulnerabilities typically have low exploitation complexity and are often weaponized quickly.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Version after 1.0.1
Vendor Advisory: https://patchstack.com/database/vulnerability/maanstore-api/wordpress-maanstore-api-plugin-1-0-1-account-takeover-vulnerability?_s_id=cve
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Log into WordPress admin panel. 2. Navigate to Plugins → Installed Plugins. 3. Find MaanStore API plugin. 4. Check for updates or remove if no update available. 5. Update to latest version or disable plugin.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable MaanStore API Plugin
allTemporarily disable the vulnerable plugin until patched version is available.
wp plugin deactivate maanstore-api
Restrict API Access
linuxUse web application firewall or .htaccess to restrict access to plugin endpoints.
# Add to .htaccess: RewriteRule ^wp-content/plugins/maanstore-api/ - [F,L]
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict network access controls to limit who can reach the WordPress instance
- Enable detailed logging and monitoring for authentication attempts and API access patterns
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check WordPress admin panel → Plugins → MaanStore API version. If version is 1.0.1 or earlier, you are vulnerable.Check Version:
wp plugin get maanstore-api --field=versionVerify Fix Applied:
Verify plugin version is higher than 1.0.1 and test authentication functionality.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual authentication patterns
- API requests to maanstore-api endpoints without proper authentication
- Multiple failed login attempts followed by successful access
Network Indicators:
- HTTP requests to /wp-content/plugins/maanstore-api/ endpoints with suspicious parameters
- Traffic patterns indicating authentication bypass
SIEM Query:
source="wordpress.log" AND ("maanstore-api" OR "authentication bypass") AND (status=200 OR status=302)