Ad Inserter Pro <= 2.7.15 - Arbitrary File Modification

2022-06-28 00:00
Anonymous

Strategic Overview

Status
Patched in 2.7.16
Affected Plugin
Ad Inserter Pro
Affected Version
<= 2.7.15
CVSS
8.1High
Weakness type
CWE-862 · Missing Authorization
CVE
CVE pending
View all Ad Inserter Pro vulnerabilities

At a glance

This record tracks a high-severity Missing Authorization vulnerability in the Ad Inserter Pro WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 2.7.15. It carries a CVSS score of 8.1 (reachable over the network; high confidentiality, integrity, availability impact). Exploitation requires no authentication. The issue is fixed in version 2.7.16; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed June 2022.

Vulnerability Overview

The Ad Inserter Pro plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Arbitrary File Modification in versions 2.7.15 via unknown mechanisms. The Wordfence Threat Intelligence team conducted a thorough review of the vulnerable plugin and could not determine a vulnerable component in the plugin, which leads us to believe there may have been some element on the plugin developers management side that may have made file modification possible without the appropriate authorizations. Reports indicate that attackers were deleting wp-config.php files to reset the site, which leads us to believe the vulnerability made arbitrary file deletion or modification possible.

Technical Analysis

The vector marks this flaw as remotely reachable over the network, and no privileges on the target site, and no interaction from a victim user. A successful exploit has high impact on confidentiality, integrity, availability — full site compromise territory.

CWE-862: Missing Authorization

Reaching this weakness in Ad Inserter Pro <= 2.7.15 takes a caller who can reach the endpoint. A missing authorization check means a function is reachable by anyone who can reach the endpoint, because the code never asks whether the caller is allowed to perform the action.

Any user who can reach the endpoint gets to run an action reserved for higher-privileged roles, from reading protected data to changing settings or content. For Ad Inserter Pro the fix is 2.7.16: builds <= 2.7.15 are affected, anything from 2.7.16 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 2.7.16, 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: Ad Inserter Pro 2.7.16 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

  • Login Security
  • Alerts

External References

Related records

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