25 Broken Access Control FEB 2023

BRIEF: Broken Access Control FEB 2023 are critical security vulnerabilities in which attackers can perform any action (access, modify, delete) outside of WordPress or WooCommerce intended default user permissions (subscriber, customer, etc).

What is Broken Access Control?

A security threat, where intruders are able to gain access to unauthorized data. Broken access control is a failure on the OWN security to carry out and maintain pre-established user access policies. Bypassing intended permissions, intruders become able to reach sensitive information, modify and outright delete or download data, or perform business functions that you wouldn’t want them to perform. Like ordering a single product, paying and after confirmation tampering the saved cart ordered item numbers.

Broken access control vulnerabilities can have far-reaching consequences. Privileged data could be exposed, malware could be loaded to further attacks and destruction. Beyond the initial breach, companies face litigation, damage control, loss of market share and reputation, repair of compromised systems, and delays in deploying live improvements. With exploits and attacks more prevalent than ever, ensuring your system’s security is more important than ever.

What is Insecure Direct Object Reference (IDOR)?

Insecure direct object references (IDOR) are a type of access control vulnerability that arises when an application uses user-supplied input to access objects directly. It leads to access controls being circumvented. IDOR vulnerabilities are most commonly associated with reaching resources from database entries belonging to other users, files in the system, and more. This is caused by the fact that the application takes user supplied input and uses it to retrieve an object without performing sufficient authorization checks.

What is Missing Authorization?

Assuming a user with a given identity, authorization is the process of determining whether that user can access a given resource, based on the user’s privileges and any permissions or other access-control specifications that apply to the resource. When access control checks are not applied, users are able to access data or perform actions that they should not be allowed to perform. This can lead to a wide range of problems, including sensitive and private information exposures, remote or arbitrary code execution.

What is Directory or Path Traversal?

Directory traversal (or file path traversal) is a security vulnerability that allows an attacker to read specific files on the server that is running inside your WordPress or WooCommerce. This might include plugin or theme code and data, credentials for back-end systems, 3rd party integrations, hosting environment details, or sensitive operating system files. In some cases, an attacker might be able to write into these files on the server, allowing them to modify application data or behavior, and ultimately taking full control of the infrastructure.