HyperComments <= 1.2.2 - Arbitrary File Deletion

2020-10-07 00:00
Lenon Leite

Strategic Overview

Status
Unpatched
Affected Plugin
HyperComments
Affected Version
<= 1.2.2
CVSS
7.2High
Weakness type
CWE-73 · External Control of File Name or Path
CVE
CVE pending
View all HyperComments vulnerabilities

At a glance

This record tracks a high-severity External Control of File Name or Path vulnerability in the HyperComments WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 1.2.2. It carries a CVSS score of 7.2 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity). Exploitation requires no authentication. No fixed release has been reported yet; treat installations running this software as exposed. Disclosed October 2020, reported by Lenon Leite.

Vulnerability Overview

The HyperComments plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Arbitrary File Deletion via the 'xml' GET parameter in versions up to, and including, 1.2.2. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to delete files on the vulnerable filesystem.

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.

CWE-73: External Control of File Name or Path

The product allows user input to control or influence paths or file names that are used in filesystem operations.

Remediation

No known patch available. Please review the vulnerability's details in depth and employ mitigations based on your organization's risk tolerance. It may be best to uninstall the affected software and find a replacement.

How does WordSec protect against this?

The attempt arrives as an ordinary request to HyperComments: WordSec's web application firewall inspects request payloads before WordPress loads them. Classes like this one can leave something behind, so the staged malware scanner is the second half: it looks for dropped files and modified code rather than for the request that created them. No patched version is recorded yet, which is the case where a filtering layer matters most, because there is nothing to update to.

  • Firewall
  • Scanner
  • Alerts

External References

Related records

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