Subscriber Broken Access Control in AnsPress 4.4.4

Executive Summary

This is a Broken Access Control vulnerability in the AnsPress – Question and answer WordPress plugin version 4.4.4. It allows users with Subscriber-level access to perform actions that require higher privileges due to missing authorization checks, authentication checks, or nonce token validation.

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Detection Guidance

Check for unauthorized actions performed by Subscriber-level users in AnsPress plugin logs. Look for requests to privileged endpoints without proper authentication or nonce tokens. Monitor for unusual activity in WordPress admin areas or API calls.

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Impact Analysis

An attacker with Subscriber access could exploit this to perform unauthorized actions, such as modifying or deleting content, changing settings, or gaining elevated privileges. The CVSS score of 7.1 indicates a moderate risk, and mass exploitation campaigns could target thousands of websites.

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Mitigation Strategies

Disable the AnsPress plugin until an official patch is released. Apply Patchstack's mitigation rule if available. Restrict Subscriber-level user permissions and monitor for suspicious activity. Consider updating to a patched version once released.

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