CVE-2020-10564

WordPress File Upload <= 4.12.2 - Directory Traversal to Remote Code Execution

2020-03-13 00:00

Strategic Overview

Status: Patched in 4.13.0
Affected Plugin: Iptanus File Upload
Affected Version: <= 4.12.2
CVSS: 9.8Critical
Weakness type: CWE-22 · Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
CVE: CVE-2020-10564

View all Iptanus File Upload vulnerabilities

At a glance

CVE-2020-10564 is a critical-severity Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') vulnerability in the Iptanus File Upload WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 4.12.2. 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 4.13.0; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed March 2020, reported by riccardo krauter (p4w).

Vulnerability Overview

An issue was discovered in the File Upload plugin before 4.13.0 for WordPress. A directory traversal can lead to remote code execution by uploading a crafted txt file into the lib directory, because of a wfu_include_lib call.

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 Iptanus File Upload <= 4.12.2 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 Iptanus File Upload the fix is 4.13.0: builds <= 4.12.2 are affected, anything from 4.13.0 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 4.13.0, or a newer patched version

How does WordSec protect against this?

The attempt arrives as an ordinary request to Iptanus File Upload: WordSec's web application firewall inspects request payloads before WordPress loads them. None of that substitutes for the fix: Iptanus File Upload 4.13.0 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

Firewall
Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2020-10564 https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/fb5a65a2-e748-4c23-8cae-cb0a7de74911 https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2020-10564

Related records

Same weakness class

Other vulnerabilities in Iptanus File Upload

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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