CVE-2024-4468 is a vulnerability classified under CWE-280 (Improper Handling of Insufficient Permissions or Privileges) found in the Salon Booking System WordPress plugin developed by wordpresschef. The issue stems from missing capability checks on several functions hooked into the admin_init action, which is triggered during the WordPress admin initialization process. This flaw allows any authenticated user with subscriber-level access or higher to bypass intended permission restrictions. Consequently, these users can modify plugin settings and access sensitive data such as discount codes meant for other users. The vulnerability affects all plugin versions up to and including 9.9. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 4.3 (medium severity), reflecting that the attack vector is network-based (remote), requires low attack complexity, and privileges at the subscriber level, with no user interaction needed. The scope is unchanged, and the impact affects integrity but not confidentiality or availability. No patches or fixes are currently linked, and no known exploits have been reported in the wild. The vulnerability is significant because subscriber-level users are typically considered low-privilege, and this flaw elevates their ability to alter plugin configurations and access data beyond their authorization, potentially leading to unauthorized discount code exposure and unauthorized configuration changes that could affect business operations or customer trust.

The primary impact of CVE-2024-4468 is unauthorized modification of plugin settings and exposure of sensitive discount codes to users who should not have access. This can lead to several adverse outcomes for organizations using the Salon Booking System plugin: 1) Integrity compromise of booking system configurations, potentially disrupting business workflows or enabling fraudulent bookings or discounts. 2) Exposure of discount codes could result in financial losses due to unauthorized use or abuse of promotional offers. 3) Loss of customer trust if sensitive promotional data is leaked or if booking system reliability is undermined. 4) Potential for privilege escalation if attackers leverage this vulnerability as a stepping stone for further attacks within the WordPress environment. Although the vulnerability does not directly impact confidentiality of broader data or availability of the system, the integrity issues alone can have significant operational and reputational consequences. Organizations with high volumes of bookings or significant reliance on discount codes for marketing are particularly vulnerable. Since exploitation requires only subscriber-level authentication, attackers can be internal users or compromised low-privilege accounts, increasing the risk surface.

1) Immediate mitigation involves restricting subscriber-level users from accessing or interacting with the Salon Booking System plugin until a patch is available. This can be done by customizing user roles and capabilities using WordPress role management plugins to remove access to the plugin's admin functions. 2) Monitor and audit user roles and permissions regularly to ensure no unauthorized privilege escalation has occurred. 3) Implement strict access controls and multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all authenticated users to reduce the risk of compromised subscriber accounts. 4) Disable or limit plugin functionality for low-privilege users via custom code or filters that enforce capability checks before executing sensitive functions. 5) Stay updated with wordpresschef announcements and apply official patches or updates as soon as they are released. 6) Conduct regular security assessments and penetration testing focusing on WordPress plugins and user privilege boundaries. 7) Consider isolating the booking system on a separate subdomain or environment with additional security controls to limit the blast radius of any exploitation. 8) Educate administrators and users about the risks of low-privilege account compromise and enforce strong password policies.