LayerSlider <= 4.6.1 - Path Traversal

2014-08-01 00:00
Akastep

Strategic Overview

Status
Patched in 5.2.0
Affected Plugin
LayerSlider
Affected Version
<= 4.6.1
CVSS
6.5Medium
Weakness type
CWE-287 · Improper Authentication
CVE
CVE pending
View all LayerSlider vulnerabilities

At a glance

This record tracks a medium-severity Improper Authentication vulnerability in the LayerSlider WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 4.6.1. It carries a CVSS score of 6.5 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity; high confidentiality impact). The issue is fixed in version 5.2.0; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed August 2014, reported by Akastep.

Vulnerability Overview

The LayerSlider plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Path Traversal in versions up to, and including, 4.6.1 via the LayerSlider/editor.php skin parameter. This allows unauthenticated attackers to read the contents of arbitrary files on the server, which can contain sensitive information.

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-287: Improper Authentication

Reaching this weakness in LayerSlider <= 4.6.1 takes a caller who can reach the endpoint. Improper authentication means the mechanism that proves who a caller is can be satisfied without the secret it was supposed to require.

An attacker authenticates as another user — administrators included — without ever knowing a password, so password policies and login rate limits never come into play. For LayerSlider the fix is 5.2.0: builds <= 4.6.1 are affected, anything from 5.2.0 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 5.2.0, or a newer patched version

How does WordSec protect against this?

Because it turns on account access, WordSec's login security is the relevant layer: role-based two-factor, captcha and brute-force limits raise the cost of getting the account this needs. None of that substitutes for the fix: LayerSlider 5.2.0 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

  • Login Security
  • Alerts

External References

https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/7801d3e1-90aa-434d-ae3d-9f19670280c0

Related records

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