CVE-2022-44583

WatchTowerHQ <= 3.6.15 - Unauthenticated Arbitrary File Download

2022-11-01 00:00

Strategic Overview

Status: Patched in 3.6.16
Affected Plugin: WatchTowerHQ
Affected Version: <= 3.6.15
CVSS: 8.6High
Weakness type: CWE-552 · Files or Directories Accessible to External Parties
CVE: CVE-2022-44583

At a glance

CVE-2022-44583 is a high-severity Files or Directories Accessible to External Parties vulnerability in the WatchTowerHQ WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 3.6.15. It carries a CVSS score of 8.6 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity; high confidentiality impact). Exploitation requires no authentication. The issue is fixed in version 3.6.16; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed November 2022, reported by Dave Jong.

Vulnerability Overview

The WatchTowerHQ plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to arbitrary file downloads in versions up to, and including, 3.6.15 due to missing capability checks on several REST API endpoints. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to download arbitrary files on the affected site's server leading to Information Exposure.

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.

CWE-552: Files or Directories Accessible to External Parties

The product makes files or directories accessible to unauthorized actors, even though they should not be.

Remediation

Update to version 3.6.16, or a newer patched version

How does WordSec protect against this?

Requests carrying this pattern arrive without a session, so nothing upstream of the firewall gets a chance to reject them: WordSec's web application firewall inspects request payloads before WordPress loads them. None of that substitutes for the fix: WatchTowerHQ 3.6.16 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

Firewall
Login Security
Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2022-44583 https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/04e2f1f3-95c9-4a90-8c76-7b405a3815f7 https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-44583

Related records

Other vulnerabilities in WatchTowerHQ

CVSS Vector

8.6

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

Base

Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges RequiredNone
User InteractionNone
ScopeChanged
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityNone
AvailabilityNone

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