Security risks of elevated user access and multiple high-privilege accounts in WordPress

WordPress offers a robust system for managing user roles and permissions, enabling site owners to tailor access according to their specific requirements. However, directly assigning high-privilege capabilities to user accounts or managing multiple accounts with elevated access can pose significant security risks. Although this approach may seem like a convenient fix, this is considered a poor access strategy often introduces vulnerabilities that can jeopardize the entire website.

The list of capabilities below, while necessary for administering a WordPress site, can lead to catastrophic security breaches if granted to inappropriate roles or users:

• edit_themes: Allows a user to modify theme files directly. This can impact the appearance, functionality, or security of the site if misused.
• edit_plugins: Enables a user to edit plugin files. Changing plugins can introduce vulnerabilities or cause functionality issues if not done properly.
• edit_files: Grants access to edit core WordPress files. This poses a serious risk as changes to these files can affect the entire site.
• activate_plugins: Lets a user activate or deactivate plugins. This can enable or disable critical site functionality, potentially breaking the site.
• manage_options: Allows a user to change settings in the WordPress admin panel, including key site configurations that control how the site operates.
• delete_users: Permits a user to delete other user accounts, which could lock out legitimate users or administrators from the site.
• create_users: Allows a user to create new accounts, which could be used to add unauthorized users or create backdoor accounts for future attacks.
• unfiltered_upload: Enables a user to upload files without filtering for security. This could allow malicious files, such as scripts or malware, to be uploaded.
• update_plugins: Lets a user update existing plugins. While necessary for security, updates can also introduce bugs or incompatibilities if not done carefully.
• delete_plugins: Permits the deletion of installed plugins. Removing essential plugins can break site functionality or security features.
• install_plugins: Grants the ability to install new plugins, which could introduce untested or insecure software into the site.
• update_themes: Allows a user to update installed themes, which could break customizations or introduce bugs.
• install_themes: Lets a user install new themes, which can affect the site's design or introduce vulnerabilities if the theme is insecure.
• update_core: Enables the updating of WordPress itself. Core updates are critical but can break site functionality if not handled carefully.
• promote_users: Permits a user to change the roles of other users, allowing unauthorized users to gain higher privileges.
• delete_themes: Allows a user to delete themes. This could disrupt the site’s layout or force it to revert to a default theme, potentially breaking the design.

Each of these actions has the potential to impact the integrity, functionality, and security of an entire website.

# Why Direct Capability Assignment Is Risky

Capabilities in WordPress determine what actions users can perform, such as installing plugins or modifying theme files. Typically, these capabilities are grouped into roles like "Administrator" or "Editor". However, when capabilities are assigned directly to users, bypassing the role system, the following risks arise:

1. Lack of Centralized Management. Direct capability assignments make it difficult to monitor and control what permissions each user has, increasing the risk of granting unnecessary access.
2. Unintended Privilege Escalation. Users can accumulate capabilities over time that, when combined, may give them higher privileges than intended.
3. Increased Vulnerability. Each user with high-level capabilities becomes a potential target for attackers, making the site more susceptible to breaches.

# The Danger of Having Multiple Users with High-Privilege Capabilities

Assigning high-privilege capabilities to multiple users increases the website's overall risk in several ways:

1. Broader Attack Surface. Every user account with high-privilege capabilities is a potential entry point for attackers. The more users you have with direct access to critical functions, such as editing files or installing plugins, the easier it becomes for an attacker to find and exploit a vulnerable account.

   For example, if several users are given the ability to edit_plugins or edit_files, a compromised account could allow an attacker to inject malicious code into the website. This could lead to data theft, website defacement, or further exploitation of your system.

2. Broken Access Control. Access control refers to the method by which users are granted or denied access to certain functions within a website. When high-privilege capabilities are assigned directly to users, the clear boundaries set by roles can be blurred. This leads to "broken access control", where users gain more access than they should.

   A user may start with limited access but later receive additional high-level capabilities, either intentionally or by accident. Over time, the lines between user roles blur, creating a situation where users with insufficient technical knowledge have access to critical site functions, increasing the chance of accidental or malicious damage.

3. Poor Access Strategy. Assigning high-privilege capabilities directly to multiple users rather than through roles is a poor access strategy. It leads to unnecessary exposure of sensitive functions to users who may not need them on a day-to-day basis. A better approach is to follow the principle of least privilege, where users are given only the minimum access necessary to perform their job.

   When many users have direct, high-level access, it becomes difficult to track and manage permissions effectively. This can result in improper access being granted, further weakening the security pasture of your website.

# Security Implications of Poor Access Strategy

By allowing multiple users to have high-privilege capabilities through direct assignment or through roles, several dangerous scenarios can arise:

1. Inconsistent Permission Management. Direct capability assignments lead to scattered and inconsistent permission management. Instead of updating or auditing permissions based on roles, individual users must be monitored separately, which increases the likelihood of oversights. This fragmented control can result in users retaining unnecessary capabilities, like the ability to install plugins or delete files, long after they need them.

2. Easier Compromise of High-Privilege Accounts. The more accounts with high-level capabilities, the easier it becomes for attackers to target these accounts. Whether through phishing, weak passwords, or other means, each account with the ability to update core files, manage plugins, or edit themes is a vulnerability. In the event of a breach, an attacker could quickly escalate their access and take full control of the site.

3. Privilege Escalation and Backdoor Creation. When users are granted capabilities like promote_users or create_users, they may inadvertently elevate their own privileges or create new user accounts with unauthorized high-level access. This creates a pathway for attackers to install backdoors, ensuring they retain access even after a breach is discovered.

# Conclusion

Granting multiple users high-privilege capabilities by directly assigning permissions to their accounts rather than through roles exposes your WordPress site to significant risks. This practice increases the likelihood of attack, weakens access control, and creates a poor security strategy. Adopting a role-based permission system, limiting direct access to critical capabilities, and conducting regular permission audits will help you safeguard your site against potential breaches and maintain a secure, well-managed environment.