WP Dark Mode <= 4.0.7 - Authenticated (Subscriber+) Local File Inclusion via 'style'
Strategic Overview
- Status
- Patched in 4.0.8
- Affected Version
<= 4.0.7- CVSS
- 8.8High
- Weakness type
- CWE-22 · Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
- CVE
CVE-2023-0467
At a glance
CVE-2023-0467 is a high-severity Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') vulnerability in the WP Dark Mode WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 4.0.7. 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 at Subscriber level or above. The issue is fixed in version 4.0.8; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed March 2023, reported by Alex Sanford.
Vulnerability Overview
The WP Dark Mode plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Local File Inclusion in versions up to, and including, 4.0.7 via the 'style' shortcode attribute. This allows authenticated attackers, with subscriber-level permissions and above, to include and execute arbitrary files on the server, allowing the execution of any PHP code in those files. This can be used to bypass access controls, obtain sensitive data, or achieve code execution in cases where images and other “safe” file types can be uploaded and included. This only affects installations where the traversal of non-existent directories is allowed or when chained with another vulnerability that allows for the creation of arbitrary directories.
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-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
WP Dark Mode <= 4.0.7 carries this weakness at style, and reaching it takes an account at Subscriber level or above. 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 WP Dark Mode the fix is 4.0.8: builds <= 4.0.7 are affected, anything from 4.0.8 onward is not.
Remediation
Update to version 4.0.8, or a newer patched version
How does WordSec protect against this?
An attacker needs Subscriber access first, so the firewall sees the attempt as traffic from a logged-in account: WordSec's web application firewall inspects request payloads before WordPress loads them. None of that substitutes for the fix: WP Dark Mode 4.0.8 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.
- Firewall
- Alerts
External References
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