CVE-2020-11738

Duplicator < 1.3.28 - Directory Traversal

2020-02-28 00:00

Strategic Overview

Status: Patched in 1.3.28
Affected Plugin: Duplicator – Backups & Migration Plugin – Cloud Backups, Scheduled Backups, & More
Affected Version: < 1.3.28
CVSS: 7.5High
Weakness type: CWE-22 · Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
CVE: CVE-2020-11738

View all Duplicator – Backups & Migration Plugin – Cloud Backups, Scheduled Backups, & More vulnerabilities

At a glance

CVE-2020-11738 is a high-severity Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') vulnerability in the Duplicator WordPress plugin, affecting versions < 1.3.28. 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 1.3.28; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed February 2020, reported by nam3lum.

Vulnerability Overview

The Duplicator (Free & Pro) plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Directory Traversal in versions up to 1.3.28 (and Duplicator Pro before 3.8.7.1) via the 'file' parameter through the duplicator_download() or duplicator_init() function. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to read the contents of arbitrary files on the server, which can contain sensitive information.

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')

Duplicator < 1.3.28 carries this weakness at file, 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 Duplicator the fix is 1.3.28: builds < 1.3.28 are affected, anything from 1.3.28 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 1.3.28, or a newer patched version

How does WordSec protect against this?

The attempt arrives as an ordinary request to Duplicator: WordSec's web application firewall inspects request payloads before WordPress loads them. None of that substitutes for the fix: Duplicator 1.3.28 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

Firewall
Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-11738 https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/f9ae9aba-fa0e-4a3d-a970-e45216685cc0 https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-11738

Related records

Other vulnerabilities in Duplicator – Backups & Migration Plugin – Cloud Backups, Scheduled Backups, & More

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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