CVE-2022-24872 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting the Shopware platform, an open commerce solution built on the Symfony Framework and Vue.js. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-732, which pertains to incorrect permission assignment for critical resources. Specifically, the issue arises because permissions assigned to the sales channel context via the admin API remain accessible within a normal user session. This means that users with standard privileges could potentially leverage elevated permissions intended only for administrative contexts, leading to unauthorized access or actions within the platform. The affected versions include all Shopware platform releases prior to 6.4.10.1, with older branches 6.1, 6.2, and 6.3 also vulnerable unless patched via a dedicated security plugin. No known workarounds exist, making timely patching essential. Although there are no known exploits in the wild, the nature of the flaw—incorrect permission handling—could allow privilege escalation or unauthorized manipulation of commerce-related data or configurations, undermining the integrity and confidentiality of the system. The vulnerability was publicly disclosed in April 2022, and Shopware has provided updates and plugins to remediate the issue.

For European organizations using Shopware as their e-commerce platform, this vulnerability poses a risk of unauthorized access to critical commerce functions. Attackers or malicious insiders exploiting this flaw could manipulate sales channel configurations, access sensitive customer or transactional data, or disrupt commerce operations. This could lead to data breaches involving personal customer information, financial loss due to fraudulent transactions or altered pricing, and reputational damage. The integrity of the commerce platform could be compromised, potentially affecting order processing and inventory management. Given the widespread adoption of Shopware in Europe, especially among small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and retail sectors, the impact could be significant. Additionally, organizations subject to GDPR must consider the regulatory implications of any data exposure resulting from exploitation. The absence of known exploits reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the threat, especially as attackers often develop exploits after public disclosures.

Organizations should prioritize updating their Shopware platform to version 6.4.10.1 or later. For those running older versions (6.1, 6.2, 6.3), installing the official security plugin provided by Shopware is critical. Beyond patching, administrators should audit user roles and permissions within the Shopware environment to ensure no excessive privileges are granted inadvertently. Implementing strict role-based access controls (RBAC) and regularly reviewing admin API usage logs can help detect anomalous activities. Network segmentation can limit access to the admin API endpoints, reducing exposure. Additionally, integrating Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to monitor and block suspicious API calls related to sales channel permissions can provide an extra layer of defense. Organizations should also conduct penetration testing focused on permission boundaries within Shopware to identify any residual weaknesses. Finally, maintaining up-to-date backups and incident response plans will aid in recovery if exploitation occurs.