Unauthorized Access to Customer Data in Hotel Booking WordPress Plugin

Executive Summary

This vulnerability is an Insecure Direct Object Reference (IDOR) flaw in the Hotel Booking WordPress plugin versions up to 3.8. It allows any authenticated user, including those with Subscriber-level access, to access other customers' booking details by referencing identifiers they do not own. This includes personally identifiable information such as names, email addresses, phone numbers, and postal addresses.

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Detection Guidance

To detect this vulnerability, check if unauthenticated users or lower-privilege users (e.g., Subscribers) can access booking records of other users by manipulating identifiers. Review server logs for unusual access patterns to booking endpoints. Use tools like WPScan to scan for vulnerable plugin versions: wpscan --url <target-site> --plugins-detection aggressive

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Impact Analysis

If you use the affected Hotel Booking plugin, an attacker with even basic access could view sensitive personal data of other customers. This could lead to privacy breaches, identity theft, or targeted phishing attacks against those customers. The impact is higher if you handle customer data regularly.

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Compliance Impact

This vulnerability likely violates GDPR and other privacy regulations by exposing personal data without authorization. It could result in legal penalties, fines, or reputational damage due to non-compliance with data protection requirements.

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Mitigation Strategies

Immediately update the Hotel Booking plugin to the latest version beyond 3.8. If an update is unavailable, disable the plugin temporarily. Restrict user roles to prevent Subscribers from accessing sensitive data. Monitor for unauthorized access attempts and review access controls for booking records.

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