CVE-2018-25105

File Manager <= 3.0 - Unauthenticated Arbitrary File Upload/Download

2018-09-17 00:00

Strategic Overview

Status: Patched in 3.1
Affected Plugin: File Manager
Affected Version: <= 3.0
CVSS: 9.8Critical
Weakness type: CWE-862 · Missing Authorization
CVE: CVE-2018-25105

At a glance

CVE-2018-25105 is a critical-severity Missing Authorization vulnerability in the File Manager WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 3.0. 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 3.1; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed September 2018.

Vulnerability Overview

The File Manager plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to authorization bypass due to a missing capability check in the /inc/root.php file in versions up to, and including, 3.0. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to download arbitrary files from the server and upload arbitrary files that can be used for remote code execution.

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-862: Missing Authorization

Reaching this weakness in File Manager <= 3.0 takes no account at all. A missing authorization check means a function is reachable by anyone who can reach the endpoint, because the code never asks whether the caller is allowed to perform the action.

Any user who can reach the endpoint gets to run an action reserved for higher-privileged roles, from reading protected data to changing settings or content. For File Manager the fix is 3.1: builds <= 3.0 are affected, anything from 3.1 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 3.1, or a newer patched version

How does WordSec protect against this?

This one needs no account at all, which puts it outside what login hardening can reach; WordSec's login security narrows the account-level paths around it, and the firewall is what inspects the request itself. None of that substitutes for the fix: File Manager 3.1 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

Login Security
Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2018-25105 https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/a56d5a2f-ae13-4523-bc4a-17bb2fb4c6f0 https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-25105

Related records

Same weakness class

Other vulnerabilities in File Manager

CVSS Vector

9.8

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

Base

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

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