CVE-2019-14206

Adaptive Images for WordPress <= 0.6.66 - Arbitrary File Deletion

2019-07-19 00:00
Mark Gruffer

Strategic Overview

Status
Patched in 0.6.67
Affected Version
< 0.6.67
CVSS
7.5High
Weakness type
CWE-22 · Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
CVE
CVE-2019-14206
View all Adaptive Images for WordPress vulnerabilities

At a glance

CVE-2019-14206 is a high-severity Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') vulnerability in the Adaptive Images for WordPress WordPress plugin, affecting versions < 0.6.67. It carries a CVSS score of 7.5 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity; high integrity impact). Exploitation requires no authentication. The issue is fixed in version 0.6.67; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed July 2019, reported by Mark Gruffer.

Vulnerability Overview

An Arbitrary File Deletion vulnerability in the Nevma Adaptive Images plugin before 0.6.67 for WordPress allows remote attackers to delete arbitrary files via the $REQUEST['adaptive-images-settings'] parameter in adaptive-images-script.php.

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. A successful exploit has high impact on integrity.

CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')

Adaptive Images for WordPress < 0.6.67 carries this weakness at adaptive-images-settings, and reaching it takes a caller who can reach the endpoint. Path traversal happens when user-controlled text is used to build a filesystem path without being constrained to an intended directory, so sequences like ../ walk the resolved path somewhere else.

Depending on the operation, it means reading files outside the intended folder — wp-config.php being the usual target — or writing to and deleting paths the web server can touch. For Adaptive Images for WordPress the fix is 0.6.67: builds < 0.6.67 are affected, anything from 0.6.67 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 0.6.67, or a newer patched version

How does WordSec protect against this?

The attempt arrives as an ordinary request to Adaptive Images for WordPress: WordSec's web application firewall inspects request payloads before WordPress loads them. None of that substitutes for the fix: Adaptive Images for WordPress 0.6.67 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

  • Firewall
  • Alerts

External References

Related records

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