CVE-2017-9066

WordPress Core < 4.7.5 - Server-Side Request Forgery

2017-05-16 00:00

Strategic Overview

Status: Patched in 3.7.21
Affected Core: WordPress 4.7
Affected Version: 3.7 – 4.7.4 · 12 branches
CVSS: 7.7High
Weakness type: CWE-918 · Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF)
CVE: CVE-2017-9066

At a glance

CVE-2017-9066 is a high-severity Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF) vulnerability in the WordPress 4.7 WordPress release line, affecting 3.7 – 4.7.4 · 12 branches. It carries a CVSS score of 7.7 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity; high confidentiality impact). The issue is fixed in version 3.7.21; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed May 2017, reported by Ronnie Skansing.

Vulnerability Overview

In WordPress before 4.7.5, there is insufficient redirect validation in the HTTP class, leading to SSRF.

Technical Analysis

The vector marks this flaw as remotely reachable over the network, with low attack complexity — no special timing or configuration is needed, and no interaction from a victim user. A successful exploit has high impact on confidentiality.

CWE-918: Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF)

Reaching this weakness in WordPress 4.7 3.7 – 4.7.4 · 12 branches takes a caller who can reach the endpoint. Server-side request forgery means the application fetches a URL supplied by the caller, turning the server into a proxy for requests the attacker could not make directly.

The request originates from inside the hosting network, which is how these flaws reach cloud metadata endpoints, internal admin panels and services that trust local traffic. For WordPress 4.7 the fix is 3.7.21: builds 3.7 – 4.7.4 · 12 branches are affected, anything from 3.7.21 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to one of the following versions, or a newer patched version: 3.7.21, 3.8.21, 3.9.19, 4.0.18, 4.1.18, 4.2.15, 4.3.11, 4.4.10, 4.5.9, 4.6.6, 4.7.5

How does WordSec protect against this?

The attempt arrives as an ordinary request to WordPress 4.7: WordSec's web application firewall inspects request payloads before WordPress loads them. None of that substitutes for the fix: updating to 3.7.21 is the step that ends it.

Firewall
Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2017-9066 https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/d357f92a-3c20-4972-af4d-65053027d31c https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2017-9066

Related records

Same weakness class

Other vulnerabilities in WordPress 4.7

CVSS Vector

7.7

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:N/A:N

Base

Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges RequiredLow
User InteractionNone
ScopeChanged
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityNone
AvailabilityNone

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