CVE-2022-2981

Download Monitor <= 4.5.97 - Authenticated (Administrator+) Arbitrary File Download

2022-09-19 00:00

Strategic Overview

Status: Patched in 4.5.98
Affected Plugin: Download Monitor
Affected Version: <= 4.5.97
CVSS: 6.8Medium
Weakness type: CWE-552 · Files or Directories Accessible to External Parties
CVE: CVE-2022-2981

View all Download Monitor vulnerabilities

At a glance

CVE-2022-2981 is a medium-severity Files or Directories Accessible to External Parties vulnerability in the Download Monitor WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 4.5.97. It carries a CVSS score of 6.8 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity; high confidentiality impact). Exploitation requires an authenticated account at Administrator level or above. The issue is fixed in version 4.5.98; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed September 2022, reported by Raad Haddad.

Vulnerability Overview

The Download Monitor plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to arbitrary file downloads due to not verifying that downloaded files reside within the blog directory in versions up to, and including, 4.5.97. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with administrator-level permissions and above, to download arbitrary files on the affected site's server.

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-552: Files or Directories Accessible to External Parties

The product makes files or directories accessible to unauthorized actors, even though they should not be.

Remediation

Update to version 4.5.98, or a newer patched version

How does WordSec protect against this?

An attacker needs Administrator 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: Download Monitor 4.5.98 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

Firewall
Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-2981 https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/6aa0dfdf-95b0-48a2-8281-1872b99b87d6 https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-2981

Related records

Same weakness class

Other vulnerabilities in Download Monitor

CVSS Vector

6.8

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

Base

Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges RequiredHigh
User InteractionNone
ScopeChanged
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityNone
AvailabilityNone

This record contains material that is subject to copyright

CVE Usage: MITRE hereby grants you a perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, no-charge, royalty-free, irrevocable copyright license to reproduce, prepare derivative works of, publicly display, publicly perform, sublicense, and distribute Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE®). Any copy you make for such purposes is authorized provided that you reproduce MITRE's copyright designation and this license in any such copy.

https://www.cve.org/Legal/TermsOfUse

Defiant hereby grants you a perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, no-charge, royalty-free, irrevocable copyright license to reproduce, prepare derivative works of, publicly display, publicly perform, sublicense, and distribute this software vulnerability information. Any copy of the software vulnerability information you make for such purposes is authorized provided that you include a hyperlink to this vulnerability record and reproduce Defiant's copyright designation and this license in any such copy.

https://www.wordfence.com/wordfence-intelligence-terms-and-conditions/