CVE-2024-7514

WordPress Comments Import & Export <= 2.3.7 - Authenticated (Author+) Arbitrary File Read via Directory Traversal

2024-10-10 19:55
scottaglia

Strategic Overview

Status
Patched in 2.3.9
Affected Plugin
Comments Import & Export
Affected Version
<= 2.3.7
CVSS
6.5Medium
Weakness type
CWE-22 · Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
CVE
CVE-2024-7514
View all Comments Import & Export vulnerabilities

At a glance

CVE-2024-7514 is a medium-severity Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') vulnerability in the Comments Import & Export WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 2.3.7. It carries a CVSS score of 6.5 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity; high confidentiality impact). Exploitation requires an authenticated account at Author level or above. The issue is fixed in version 2.3.9; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed October 2024, reported by scottaglia.

Vulnerability Overview

The WordPress Comments Import & Export plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to to arbitrary file read due to insufficient file path validation during the comments import process, in versions up to, and including, 2.3.7. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Author-level access and above, to read the contents of arbitrary files on the server, which can contain sensitive information. The issue was partially fixed in version 2.3.8 and fully fixed in 2.3.9

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

Reaching this weakness in Comments Import & Export <= 2.3.7 takes an account at Author level or above. 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 Comments Import & Export the fix is 2.3.9: builds <= 2.3.7 are affected, anything from 2.3.9 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 2.3.9, or a newer patched version

How does WordSec protect against this?

An attacker needs Author access first, so the firewall sees the attempt as traffic from a logged-in account: WordSec's web application firewall inspects request payloads before WordPress loads them. None of that substitutes for the fix: Comments Import & Export 2.3.9 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

  • Firewall
  • Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-7514https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/30a79974-ee61-4764-8864-89659b1848a4https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-7514

Related records

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