CVE-2023-5907

File Manager <= 6.3 - Authenticated (Admin+) Arbitrary OS File Access via Path Traversal

2023-11-20 00:00
Dmitrii Ignatyev

Strategic Overview

Status
Patched in 6.3
Affected Plugin
File Manager
Affected Version
<= 6.2
CVSS
2.2Low
Weakness type
CWE-22 · Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
CVE
CVE-2023-5907
View all File Manager vulnerabilities

At a glance

CVE-2023-5907 is a low-severity Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') vulnerability in the File Manager WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 6.2. It carries a CVSS score of 2.2 (reachable over the network). Exploitation requires an authenticated account at Admin level or above. The issue is fixed in version 6.3; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed November 2023, reported by Dmitrii Ignatyev.

Vulnerability Overview

The File Manager – 100% Free & Open Source File Manager Plugin for WordPress | Bit File Manager plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Path Traversal in all versions up to, and including, 6.2 via the Root Folder Path setting. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with administrative-level access and above, to read the contents of arbitrary files on the server (past the root WordPress instance), which can contain sensitive information.

Technical Analysis

The vector marks this flaw as remotely reachable over the network, and no interaction from a victim user.

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

Reaching this weakness in File Manager <= 6.2 takes an account at Admin 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 File Manager the fix is 6.3: builds <= 6.2 are affected, anything from 6.3 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 6.3, or a newer patched version

How does WordSec protect against this?

An attacker needs Admin 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: File Manager 6.3 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

  • Firewall
  • Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-5907https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/640b1800-3b59-4b06-a803-08cb76d62d99https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-5907

Related records

Vulnerability data © Defiant, Inc., provided under the Wordfence Intelligence T&C