NextGen Gallery <= 2.0.65 - Arbitrary File Upload

2014-05-20 00:00

Strategic Overview

Status: Patched in 2.0.66
Affected Plugin: Photo Gallery, Sliders, Proofing and Themes – NextGEN Gallery
Affected Version: <= 2.0.65
CVSS: 8.8High
Weakness type: CWE-434 · Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type
CVE: CVE pending

View all Photo Gallery, Sliders, Proofing and Themes – NextGEN Gallery vulnerabilities

At a glance

This record tracks a high-severity Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type vulnerability in the Photo Gallery, Sliders, Proofing and Themes WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 2.0.65. It carries a CVSS score of 8.8 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity; high confidentiality, integrity, availability impact). The issue is fixed in version 2.0.66; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed May 2014, reported by SANTHO.

Vulnerability Overview

The NextGen Gallery plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to arbitrary file uploads due to missing file type validation in the is_image_file function in versions up to, and including, 2.0.65. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers with upload privileges to upload arbitrary files on the affected sites server which may make remote code execution possible.

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-434: Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type

Reaching this weakness in Photo Gallery, Sliders, Proofing and Themes <= 2.0.65 takes a caller who can reach the endpoint. An unrestricted file upload lets a caller store a file whose type or destination the application does not properly constrain.

If an uploaded file lands anywhere the server will execute, the flaw becomes remote code execution and the site should be treated as fully compromised. For Photo Gallery, Sliders, Proofing and Themes the fix is 2.0.66: builds <= 2.0.65 are affected, anything from 2.0.66 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 2.0.66, or a newer patched version

How does WordSec protect against this?

The attempt arrives as an ordinary request to Photo Gallery, Sliders, Proofing and Themes: 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: Photo Gallery, Sliders, Proofing and Themes 2.0.66 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

Firewall
Scanner
Alerts

External References

https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/47fb0513-bebe-4e09-9402-d7e174ee92ce

Related records

Same weakness class

Other vulnerabilities in Photo Gallery, Sliders, Proofing and Themes – NextGEN Gallery

CVSS Vector

8.8

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Base

Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges RequiredLow
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityHigh

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