CVE-2024-9522: wp users masquerade vulnerability

What is known

The WP Users Masquerade plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to authentication bypass in versions up to, and including, 2.0.0. This is due to incorrect authentication and capability checking in the 'ajax_masq_login' function. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with subscriber-level permissions and above, to log in as any existing user on the site, such as an administrator.

Business impact

Successful exploitation of CVE-2024-9522, a high vulnerability (CVSS 8.8) affecting wp users masquerade, may affect the confidentiality, integrity or availability of the vulnerable environment. The exact impact depends on the installed version, exposed interfaces and deployment configuration.

Recommended administrator action

Confirm whether wp users masquerade is present and compare installed versions with the vendor advisory and NVD record. Apply the vendor patch or documented mitigation; until remediation is complete, reduce exposure of affected interfaces, review relevant logs and monitor for indicators of exploitation. DataHouse can support version verification, managed patching, network exposure reduction, log review and backup validation for dedicated, cloud and colocated environments.

Sources

• NVD
• Reference
• Reference