CVE-2019-17673

WordPress Core < 5.2.4 - Cache Poisoning

2019-10-14 00:00

Strategic Overview

Status: Patched in 3.7.31
Affected Core: WordPress 5.2
Affected Version: 3.7 – 5.2.3 · 17 branches
CVSS: 7.3High
Weakness type: CWE-444 · Inconsistent Interpretation of HTTP Requests ('HTTP Request/Response Smuggling')
CVE: CVE-2019-17673

At a glance

CVE-2019-17673 is a high-severity Inconsistent Interpretation of HTTP Requests ('HTTP Request/Response Smuggling') vulnerability in the WordPress 5.2 WordPress release line, affecting 3.7 – 5.2.3 · 17 branches. It carries a CVSS score of 7.3 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity). Exploitation requires no authentication. The issue is fixed in version 3.7.31; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed October 2019, reported by David Newman.

Vulnerability Overview

WordPress before 5.2.4 is vulnerable to poisoning of the cache of JSON GET requests because certain requests lack a Vary: Origin header.

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 privileges on the target site, and no interaction from a victim user.

CWE-444: Inconsistent Interpretation of HTTP Requests ('HTTP Request/Response Smuggling')

The product acts as an intermediary HTTP agent (such as a proxy or firewall) in the data flow between two entities such as a client and server, but it does not interpret malformed HTTP requests or responses in ways that are consistent with how the messages will be processed by those entities that are at the ultimate destination.

Remediation

Update to one of the following versions, or a newer patched version: 3.7.31, 3.8.31, 3.9.29, 4.0.28, 4.1.28, 4.2.25, 4.3.21, 4.4.20, 4.5.19, 4.6.16, 4.7.15, 4.8.11, 4.9.12, 5.0.7, 5.1.3, 5.2.4

How does WordSec protect against this?

The fix is the thing that ends this: updating to 3.7.31 is the step that ends it.

Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2019-17673 https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/2144ba9f-cb0a-4b54-a23f-3ecb2548a490 https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2019-17673

Related records

Other vulnerabilities in WordPress 5.2

CVSS Vector

7.3

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

Base

Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges RequiredNone
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
ConfidentialityLow
IntegrityLow
AvailabilityLow

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