WP Ultimate CSV Importer <= 3.7 - Arbitrary File Read

2015-04-27 00:00
James Golovich

Strategic Overview

Status
Patched in 3.7.1
Affected Plugin
WP Ultimate CSV Importer – WordPress CSV, XML & Excel Import
Affected Version
<= 3.7
CVSS
7.5High
Weakness type
CWE-287 · Improper Authentication
CVE
CVE pending
View all WP Ultimate CSV Importer – WordPress CSV, XML & Excel Import vulnerabilities

At a glance

This record tracks a high-severity Improper Authentication vulnerability in the WP Ultimate CSV Importer WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 3.7. 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 3.7.1; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed April 2015, reported by James Golovich.

Vulnerability Overview

The WP Ultimate CSV Importer plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to authorization bypass due to a missing capability check on the templates/readfile.php file in versions up to, and including, 3.7. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to read any files on the vulnerable service that PHP has access to.

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-287: Improper Authentication

Reaching this weakness in WP Ultimate CSV Importer <= 3.7 takes a caller who can reach the endpoint. Improper authentication means the mechanism that proves who a caller is can be satisfied without the secret it was supposed to require.

An attacker authenticates as another user — administrators included — without ever knowing a password, so password policies and login rate limits never come into play. For WP Ultimate CSV Importer the fix is 3.7.1: builds <= 3.7 are affected, anything from 3.7.1 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 3.7.1, or a newer patched version

How does WordSec protect against this?

Because it turns on account access, WordSec's login security is the relevant layer: role-based two-factor, captcha and brute-force limits raise the cost of getting the account this needs. None of that substitutes for the fix: WP Ultimate CSV Importer 3.7.1 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

  • Login Security
  • Alerts

External References

https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/0d50f217-7a53-49bf-9ce9-9922d0b3e18b

Related records

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