CVE-2023-2688

WordPress File Upload / WordPress File Upload Pro <= 4.19.1 - Authenticated (Administrator+) Path Traversal

2023-05-23 00:00
Marco Wotschka

Strategic Overview

Status
Patched in 4.19.2
Affected Plugin
Iptanus File Upload
Affected Version
<= 4.19.1
CVSS
4.9Medium
Weakness type
CWE-22 · Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
CVE
CVE-2023-2688
View all Iptanus File Upload vulnerabilities

At a glance

CVE-2023-2688 is a medium-severity Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') vulnerability in the Iptanus File Upload WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 4.19.1. It carries a CVSS score of 4.9 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity; high confidentiality impact). Exploitation requires an authenticated account at Administrator level or above. The issue is fixed in version 4.19.2; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed May 2023, reported by Marco Wotschka.

Vulnerability Overview

The WordPress File Upload and WordPress File Upload Pro plugins for WordPress are vulnerable to Path Traversal in versions up to, and including, 4.19.1 via the vulnerable parameter wfu_newpath. This allows administrator-level attackers to move files uploaded with the plugin (located in wp-content/uploads by default) outside of the web root.

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.

CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')

Reaching this weakness in Iptanus File Upload <= 4.19.1 takes an account at Administrator 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 Iptanus File Upload the fix is 4.19.2: builds <= 4.19.1 are affected, anything from 4.19.2 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 4.19.2, or a newer patched version

How does WordSec protect against this?

An attacker needs Administrator 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: Iptanus File Upload 4.19.2 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

  • Firewall
  • Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-2688https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/abd6eeac-0a7e-4762-809f-593cd85f303dhttps://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-2688

Related records

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