Strategic Overview
- Status
- Patched in 3.1.1
- Affected Plugin
- WP Source Control
- Affected Version
< 3.1.1- CVSS
- 7.5High
- Weakness type
- CWE-22 · Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
- CVE
CVE-2014-5368
At a glance
CVE-2014-5368 is a high-severity Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') vulnerability in the WP Source Control WordPress plugin, affecting versions < 3.1.1. It carries a CVSS score of 7.5 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity; high confidentiality impact). Exploitation requires no authentication. The issue is fixed in version 3.1.1; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed August 2014, reported by Henri Salo (fgeek).
Vulnerability Overview
Directory traversal vulnerability in the file_get_contents function in downloadfiles/download.php in the WP Content Source Control (wp-source-control) plugin 3.0.0 and earlier for WordPress allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files via a .. (dot dot) in the path parameter.
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.
CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
Reaching this weakness in WP Source Control < 3.1.1 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 WP Source Control the fix is 3.1.1: builds < 3.1.1 are affected, anything from 3.1.1 onward is not.
Remediation
Update to version 3.1.1, or a newer patched version
How does WordSec protect against this?
The attempt arrives as an ordinary request to WP Source Control: WordSec's web application firewall inspects request payloads before WordPress loads them. None of that substitutes for the fix: WP Source Control 3.1.1 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.
- Firewall
- Alerts
External References
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