CAOS <= 4.1.8 - Admin+ Arbitrary Folder Deletion via Path Traversal
Strategic Overview
- Status
- Patched in 4.1.9
- Affected Plugin
- CAOS | Host Google Analytics Locally
- Affected Version
<= 4.1.8- CVSS
- 4.9Medium
- Weakness type
- CWE-22 · Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
- CVE
CVE-2021-25020
At a glance
CVE-2021-25020 is a medium-severity Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') vulnerability in the CAOS WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 4.1.8. It carries a CVSS score of 4.9 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity; high integrity impact). The issue is fixed in version 4.1.9; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed December 2021, reported by José Aguilera.
Vulnerability Overview
The CAOS | Host Google Analytics Locally WordPress plugin before 4.1.9 does not validate the cache directory setting, allowing high privilege users to use a path traversal vector and delete arbitrary folders when uninstalling the plugin
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 integrity.
CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
Reaching this weakness in CAOS <= 4.1.8 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 CAOS the fix is 4.1.9: builds <= 4.1.8 are affected, anything from 4.1.9 onward is not.
Remediation
Update to version 4.1.9, or a newer patched version
How does WordSec protect against this?
The attempt arrives as an ordinary request to CAOS: WordSec's web application firewall inspects request payloads before WordPress loads them. None of that substitutes for the fix: CAOS 4.1.9 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.
- Firewall
- Alerts
External References
Related records
Other vulnerabilities in CAOS | Host Google Analytics Locally
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