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WowRevenue <= 2.1.3 Authz Risk: Scanner and Fix Path

· 2 min read
Victor Jimenez
Victor Jimenez
Software Engineer & AI Agent Builder

WowRevenue versions up to 2.1.3 can expose a high-risk path when authenticated low-privilege users can reach plugin installation or activation logic through AJAX handlers without strict capability checks. The practical fix is to enforce current_user_can('install_plugins') or current_user_can('activate_plugins') at handler entry and keep nonce checks as anti-CSRF only. I built a small scanner that flags this exact pattern in plugin source and returns a non-zero exit code for high-risk findings so teams can wire it into CI and release checks.

What was built​

  • A Python CLI scanner that checks:
    • Version gate (<= 2.1.3)
    • wp_ajax_* handlers tied to install/activation APIs
    • Missing admin-level capability enforcement
  • A test suite with positive/negative cases
  • A README with migration guidance and secure replacement pattern

View Code

Maintained plugin check before custom code​

I checked maintained ecosystem options first. Broad vulnerability intelligence is covered by maintained products like WPScan and Wordfence feeds, but I did not find a maintained focused tool for this exact WowRevenue authorization anti-pattern in local source review workflows. Because that gap exists, this project provides a narrow scanner for build-time checks.

Deprecation and migration guidance​

Treat this as a deprecated implementation pattern:

  • Deprecated:
    • Subscriber-reachable wp_ajax_* handlers that can execute plugin install/activation flows.
  • Replacement:
    • Require install_plugins or activate_plugins capability at handler entry.
    • Keep nonce verification, but do not use nonce as authorization.
    • Split privileged and non-privileged actions into separate endpoints.
  • Migration:
    • Enumerate wp_ajax_* handlers.
    • Flag handlers calling Plugin_Upgrader, activate_plugin, plugins_api, or install helpers.
    • Add capability checks and explicit forbidden responses.
    • Re-test with a subscriber account to confirm denial.