3CX Live Chat <= 9.4.2 - Local File Inclusion

2022-04-28 00:00
Moucadel Matthieu

Strategic Overview

Status
Patched in 9.4.3
Affected Plugin
3CX Free Live Chat, Calls & Messaging
Affected Version
<= 9.4.2
CVSS
8.8High
Weakness type
CWE-94 · Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection')
CVE
CVE pending
View all 3CX Free Live Chat, Calls & Messaging vulnerabilities

At a glance

This record tracks a high-severity Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection') vulnerability in the 3CX Free Live Chat, Calls & Messaging WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 9.4.2. It carries a CVSS score of 8.8 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity; high confidentiality, integrity, availability impact). The issue is fixed in version 9.4.3; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed April 2022, reported by Moucadel Matthieu.

Vulnerability Overview

The 3CX Live Chat plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Local File Inclusion in versions up to, and including, 9.4.2 via the evaluate_php_template() function. This allows authenticated attackers 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.

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-94: Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection')

3CX Free Live Chat, Calls & Messaging <= 9.4.2 carries this weakness at safe, and reaching it takes a caller who can reach the endpoint. Code injection means input from a request reaches a language construct that evaluates code, so the attacker's text is executed rather than treated as data.

The injected code runs with the web server's privileges, giving the attacker the same access to the database and filesystem as WordPress itself. For 3CX Free Live Chat, Calls & Messaging the fix is 9.4.3: builds <= 9.4.2 are affected, anything from 9.4.3 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 9.4.3, or a newer patched version

How does WordSec protect against this?

The attempt arrives as an ordinary request to 3CX Free Live Chat, Calls & Messaging: WordSec's web application firewall inspects request payloads before WordPress loads them. Classes like this one can leave something behind, so the staged malware scanner is the second half: it looks for dropped files and modified code rather than for the request that created them. None of that substitutes for the fix: 3CX Free Live Chat, Calls & Messaging 9.4.3 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

  • Firewall
  • Scanner
  • Alerts

External References

https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/4c298a24-b68b-450e-b823-f91841046783

Related records

Vulnerability data © Defiant, Inc., provided under the Wordfence Intelligence T&C