In late 2023, a serious vulnerability—CVE-2023-45271—was discovered in the ProductX – Gutenberg WooCommerce Blocks plugin, developed by WowStore Team. This missing authorization bug impacted all versions up to and including 2.7.8. In simple terms, attackers could abuse incorrectly set access control, leading to unauthorized actions on affected WordPress sites. This post explains the vulnerability, shows demo code, reveals proofs of concept, and shares mitigation steps—all in straightforward language.

What is ProductX?

ProductX – Gutenberg WooCommerce Blocks is a popular plugin for WordPress stores, letting users design and control eCommerce layouts using blocks. It’s loved for its ease of use and stylish templates.

About the Vulnerability: What went wrong?

CVE-2023-45271 is all about missing authorization. In affected versions, certain AJAX endpoints allowed users to perform sensitive actions—like changing settings, importing layouts, or modifying data—without properly checking if the user was allowed.

What’s "Missing Authorization"?

Normally, WordPress checks if you’re logged in and if you have the right permissions before you make admin-level changes. This bug let attackers skip that step!

Which Versions Are Affected?

- ProductX – Gutenberg WooCommerce Blocks versions: Unknown (n/a) through 2.7.8

Technical Background

WordPress uses admin-ajax.php for background (AJAX) requests. Safe plugins only let authorized users run sensitive actions, often using check_ajax_referer() and user role checks.

Proof-of-Concept (PoC) Exploit

Let’s look at a simplified example of how an attacker could exploit CVE-2023-45271.

In ProductX, an AJAX function might look like this (simplified)

add_action('wp_ajax_productx_import_template', 'productx_import_template_handler');
add_action('wp_ajax_nopriv_productx_import_template', 'productx_import_template_handler');

function productx_import_template_handler() {
    $template_id = $_POST['template_id'];
    // MISSING: check user's capabilities!
    // Dangerous action: imports template
    productx_import_template($template_id);
    wp_send_json_success('Imported!');
}

Notice the problem? No check for user permissions! The endpoint is also available to unauthenticated users through wp_ajax_nopriv_....

An attacker simply needs to send a POST request like this

curl -X POST "https://victimwebsite.com/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php"; \
  -d "action=productx_import_template&template_id=123"

No login required. The plugin would import the template, which could be malicious.

Upgrade ProductX to 2.7.9 or later

The changelog shows a security update in 2.7.9 that closes this hole.

As a quick fix:

Disable the plugin if you cannot upgrade, or block public ajax requests for sensitive actions using firewall rules.

Developers added permission checks like

if ( ! current_user_can('manage_options') ) {
    wp_send_json_error('You do not have permission to do this.', 403);
}

And limited endpoint access to authorized users only.

References

- WordPress Plugin Directory: ProductX – Gutenberg WooCommerce Blocks
- Official Changelog (see version 2.7.9)
- NVD - CVE-2023-45271
- WPScan Advisory: CVE-2023-45271

Conclusion

If you use ProductX – Gutenberg WooCommerce Blocks, update immediately to at least version 2.7.9!

This vulnerability shows why plugin developers — and site owners — can’t ignore access controls. Routine updates, security audits, and careful plugin choices help keep your store safe.

Don’t let your WooCommerce shop become an attacker’s playground—patch now!

*Feel free to share this post with fellow WordPress store owners.*

Timeline

Published on: 01/02/2025 12:15:09 UTC