The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-5607 affects the ninjateam GDPR CCPA Compliance & Cookie Consent Banner plugin for WordPress, versions up to and including 2.7.0. The root cause is a missing authorization check (CWE-862) in several ajaxUpdateSettings() functions, which are AJAX handlers responsible for updating plugin settings. Because these functions lack proper capability verification, any authenticated user with Subscriber-level privileges or higher can invoke these functions to modify the plugin's configuration. This unauthorized access enables attackers to change cookie consent settings, manipulate page content, send arbitrary emails potentially used for phishing or spam, and inject malicious web scripts that could lead to cross-site scripting (XSS) or other client-side attacks. The vulnerability does not require user interaction beyond authentication and can be exploited remotely over the network (AV:N). The attack complexity is low (AC:L), and the scope is unchanged (S:U), meaning the impact is limited to the vulnerable plugin and the WordPress site itself. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 5.4, reflecting medium severity with partial impact on confidentiality and integrity but no impact on availability. No patches are linked yet, and no known exploits have been reported in the wild as of the publication date (June 7, 2024).

This vulnerability allows low-privileged authenticated users to escalate their influence over the affected WordPress site by modifying plugin settings and injecting malicious content. The ability to send arbitrary emails can facilitate phishing campaigns or spam, damaging the organization's reputation and potentially leading to data leakage. Malicious script injection can compromise site visitors through XSS attacks, risking credential theft or malware distribution. Although availability is not directly impacted, the integrity and confidentiality of site data and communications are at risk. Organizations relying on this plugin for GDPR and CCPA compliance may face regulatory and legal consequences if attackers exploit this flaw to manipulate consent records or user data. The risk is heightened for sites with many registered users or where Subscriber-level accounts are easily created or compromised.

Immediate mitigation involves restricting Subscriber-level user capabilities to prevent unauthorized access to the ajaxUpdateSettings() functions. Site administrators should audit user roles and permissions to ensure minimal necessary privileges. Until an official patch is released, consider disabling or replacing the plugin with a more secure alternative. Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to monitor and block suspicious AJAX requests targeting the vulnerable endpoints. Regularly monitor logs for unusual activity related to plugin settings changes or email sending. Educate users to avoid granting unnecessary access and enforce strong authentication mechanisms to reduce the risk of account compromise. Once available, promptly apply vendor patches or updates addressing this vulnerability. Additionally, conduct security reviews of all plugins handling sensitive compliance data to prevent similar authorization issues.