CVE-2011-5208

BackWPup – WordPress Backup Plugin < 1.4.1 - Directory Traversal

2011-03-02 00:00

Strategic Overview

Status: Patched in 1.4.1
Affected Plugin: BackWPup – WordPress Backup & Restore Plugin
Affected Version: < 1.4.1
CVSS: 7.5High
Weakness type: CWE-22 · Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
CVE: CVE-2011-5208

View all BackWPup – WordPress Backup & Restore Plugin vulnerabilities

At a glance

CVE-2011-5208 is a high-severity Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') vulnerability in the BackWPup WordPress plugin, affecting versions < 1.4.1. It carries a CVSS score of 7.5 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity; high confidentiality impact). Exploitation requires no authentication. The issue is fixed in version 1.4.1; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed March 2011, reported by Danilo Massa.

Vulnerability Overview

Multiple directory traversal vulnerabilities in the BackWPup plugin before 1.4.1 for WordPress allow remote attackers to read arbitrary files via a .. (dot dot) in the wpabs parameter to (1) app/options-view_log-iframe.php or (2) app/options-runnow-iframe.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 confidentiality.

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

Reaching this weakness in BackWPup < 1.4.1 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 BackWPup the fix is 1.4.1: builds < 1.4.1 are affected, anything from 1.4.1 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 1.4.1, or a newer patched version

How does WordSec protect against this?

The attempt arrives as an ordinary request to BackWPup: WordSec's web application firewall inspects request payloads before WordPress loads them. None of that substitutes for the fix: BackWPup 1.4.1 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

Firewall
Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2011-5208 https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/e8a7d3b1-ceb7-4ff9-84e4-bc58a597b2cf https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2011-5208

Related records

Same weakness class

Other vulnerabilities in BackWPup – WordPress Backup & Restore Plugin

CVSS Vector

7.5

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

Base

Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges RequiredNone
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityNone
AvailabilityNone

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