Include Me <= 1.2.1 - Local File Inclusion leading to Authenticated Remote Code Execution
Strategic Overview
- Status
- Patched in 1.2.2
- Affected Plugin
- Include Me
- Affected Version
<= 1.2.1- CVSS
- 8.8High
- Weakness type
- CWE-98 · Improper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement in PHP Program ('PHP Remote File Inclusion')
- CVE
CVE-2021-24453
At a glance
CVE-2021-24453 is a high-severity Improper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement in PHP Program ('PHP Remote File Inclusion') vulnerability in the Include Me WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 1.2.1. It carries a CVSS score of 8.8 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity; high confidentiality, integrity, availability impact). Exploitation requires an authenticated account. The issue is fixed in version 1.2.2; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed January 2022, reported by Mesut Cetin.
Vulnerability Overview
The Include Me WordPress plugin through 1.2.1 is vulnerable to path traversal / local file inclusion, which can lead to Remote Code Execution (RCE) of the system due to log poisoning and therefore potentially a full compromise of the underlying structure
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, integrity, availability — full site compromise territory.
CWE-98: Improper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement in PHP Program ('PHP Remote File Inclusion')
Reaching this weakness in Include Me <= 1.2.1 takes any authenticated account. PHP file inclusion means a path used by include or require is built from request data, so the file that gets executed is under the caller's influence.
Including an attacker-influenced file executes its contents, which is why this class is routinely chained with an upload or log-poisoning step to reach code execution. For Include Me the fix is 1.2.2: builds <= 1.2.1 are affected, anything from 1.2.2 onward is not.
Remediation
Update to version 1.2.2, or a newer patched version
How does WordSec protect against this?
The attempt arrives as an ordinary request to Include Me: 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. None of that substitutes for the fix: Include Me 1.2.2 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.
- Firewall
- Scanner
- Alerts
External References
Related records
Other vulnerabilities in Include Me
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