CVE-2024-8246 is a vulnerability classified under CWE-269 (Improper Privilege Management) found in the svenl77 WordPress plugin named 'Post Form – Registration Form – Profile Form for User Profiles – Frontend Content Forms for User Submissions (UGC)'. This plugin is widely used to create frontend forms for user registrations and profile management on WordPress sites. The vulnerability exists in all versions up to and including 2.8.11 due to insufficient access control on the ability to set default user roles during registration. Specifically, authenticated users with contributor-level privileges or higher can exploit this flaw by creating a custom registration form that assigns a higher privilege role, such as administrator, to newly registered users. This bypasses normal role assignment restrictions and effectively allows privilege escalation from a low-privilege user to an administrator. The vulnerability requires no user interaction beyond the attacker’s own authenticated session and can be exploited remotely over the network. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 8.8, indicating a high severity with network attack vector, low attack complexity, privileges required at a low level, no user interaction, and high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the vulnerability poses a significant risk to WordPress sites using this plugin, especially those allowing contributor-level access to untrusted users. The lack of patch links suggests that a fix may not yet be publicly available, emphasizing the need for immediate mitigation steps.

The impact of CVE-2024-8246 is severe for organizations running WordPress sites with the affected plugin. An attacker with contributor-level access can escalate privileges to administrator, gaining full control over the website. This can lead to complete site compromise, including data theft, defacement, installation of backdoors or malware, and disruption of services. The confidentiality of sensitive user data and site content is at risk, as is the integrity and availability of the website. For organizations relying on WordPress for business operations, e-commerce, or content delivery, such a compromise could result in reputational damage, financial loss, and regulatory penalties. Since the vulnerability can be exploited remotely without user interaction, it increases the attack surface significantly. The potential for automated exploitation by attackers scanning for vulnerable sites further elevates the risk. Additionally, compromised administrator accounts can be used as a foothold for lateral movement within broader IT environments if integrated with other systems.

To mitigate CVE-2024-8246, organizations should immediately audit and restrict contributor-level and higher user permissions to trusted individuals only, minimizing the risk of malicious form creation. Temporarily disabling or removing the affected plugin until a patch is available is advisable. If disabling is not feasible, implement strict monitoring of user registration forms and newly created user roles for suspicious activity. Employ Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block attempts to create registration forms with elevated roles. Regularly review WordPress user roles and remove any unauthorized administrator accounts. Keep WordPress core and all plugins updated, and subscribe to vendor or security mailing lists for patch announcements. Consider implementing multi-factor authentication for administrator accounts to reduce the impact of compromised credentials. Finally, conduct regular security audits and penetration testing focused on privilege escalation vectors within WordPress environments.