Media File Manager <= 1.4.2 - Directory Traversal to Arbitrary File Relocation
Strategic Overview
- Status
- Patched in 1.4.3
- Affected Plugin
- Media File Manager
- Affected Version
<= 1.4.2- CVSS
- 9.8Critical
- Weakness type
- CWE-22 · Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
- CVE
CVE-2018-19042
At a glance
CVE-2018-19042 is a critical-severity Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') vulnerability in the Media File Manager WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 1.4.2. It carries a CVSS score of 9.8 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity; high confidentiality, integrity, availability impact). Exploitation requires no authentication. The issue is fixed in version 1.4.3; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed May 2018, reported by Pasquale Turi.
Vulnerability Overview
The Media File Manager plugin 1.4.2 for WordPress allows arbitrary file movement via a ../ directory traversal in the dir_from and dir_to parameters of an mrelocator_move action to the wp-admin/admin-ajax.php URI.
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, integrity, availability — full site compromise territory.
CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
Reaching this weakness in Media File Manager <= 1.4.2 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 Media File Manager the fix is 1.4.3: builds <= 1.4.2 are affected, anything from 1.4.3 onward is not.
Remediation
Update to version 1.4.3, or a newer patched version
How does WordSec protect against this?
The attempt arrives as an ordinary request to Media File Manager: WordSec's web application firewall inspects request payloads before WordPress loads them. None of that substitutes for the fix: Media File Manager 1.4.3 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.
- Firewall
- Alerts
External References
Related records
Same weakness class
Other vulnerabilities in Media File Manager
Vulnerability data © Defiant, Inc., provided under the Wordfence Intelligence T&C