WordPress Core < 6.0.3 - Open Redirect

2022-10-18 00:00
devrayn

Strategic Overview

Status
Patched in 3.7.40
Affected Core
WordPress 6.0
Affected Version
3.6.1 – 6.0.2 · 25 branches
CVSS
5.4Medium
Weakness type
CWE-601 · URL Redirection to Untrusted Site ('Open Redirect')
CVE
CVE pending
View all WordPress 6.0 vulnerabilities

At a glance

This record tracks a medium-severity URL Redirection to Untrusted Site ('Open Redirect') vulnerability in the WordPress 6.0 WordPress release line, affecting 3.6.1 – 6.0.2 · 25 branches. It carries a CVSS score of 5.4 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity). Exploitation requires no authentication. The issue is fixed in version 3.7.40; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed October 2022, reported by devrayn.

Vulnerability Overview

WordPress Core is vulnerable to open redirect in versions up to 6.0.3. This is due to insufficient validation of the 'Referer' header and _wp_http_referer request parameter when a user accesses a link with an expired or invalid nonce. This would make it possible for an attacker to redirect a victim to a potentially malicious site, granted they could trick the victim into performing an action such as clicking on a link.

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.

CWE-601: URL Redirection to Untrusted Site ('Open Redirect')

WordPress 6.0 3.6.1 – 6.0.2 · 25 branches carries this weakness at Referer, and reaching it takes a caller who can reach the endpoint. An open redirect is a page that takes a destination from the request and sends the browser there without checking that the destination belongs to the site.

A link that starts on a trusted domain finishes on an attacker's, which is what makes phishing and consent-screen abuse credible to the person clicking it. For WordPress 6.0 the fix is 3.7.40: builds 3.6.1 – 6.0.2 · 25 branches are affected, anything from 3.7.40 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to one of the following versions, or a newer patched version: 3.7.40, 3.8.40, 3.9.38, 4.0.37, 4.1.37, 4.2.34, 4.3.30, 4.4.29, 4.5.28, 4.6.25, 4.7.25, 4.8.21, 4.9.22, 5.0.18, 5.1.15, 5.2.17, 5.3.14, 5.4.12, 5.5.11, 5.6.10, 5.7.8, 5.8.6, 5.9.5, 6.0.3

How does WordSec protect against this?

The attempt arrives as an ordinary request to WordPress 6.0: WordSec's web application firewall inspects request payloads before WordPress loads them. None of that substitutes for the fix: updating to 3.7.40 is the step that ends it.

  • Firewall
  • Alerts

External References

https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/19c88a9a-1f97-4a46-b759-9ca030d577e7

Related records

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