CVE-2024-11150

WordPress User Extra Fields <= 16.6 - Unauthenticated Arbitrary File Deletion

2024-11-12 00:00

Strategic Overview

Status: Patched in 16.7
Affected Plugin: WordPress User Extra Fields
Affected Version: <= 16.6
CVSS: 9.8Critical
Weakness type: CWE-22 · Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
CVE: CVE-2024-11150

View all WordPress User Extra Fields vulnerabilities

At a glance

CVE-2024-11150 is a critical-severity Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') vulnerability in the WordPress User Extra Fields WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 16.6. 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 16.7; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed November 2024, reported by Chloe Chamberland.

Vulnerability Overview

The WordPress User Extra Fields plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to arbitrary file deletion due to insufficient file path validation in the delete_tmp_uploaded_file() function in all versions up to, and including, 16.6. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to delete arbitrary files on the server, which can easily lead to remote code execution when the right file is deleted (such as wp-config.php).

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')

WordPress User Extra Fields <= 16.6 carries this weakness at delete_tmp_uploaded_file(), and reaching it takes no account at all. 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 WordPress User Extra Fields the fix is 16.7: builds <= 16.6 are affected, anything from 16.7 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 16.7, or a newer patched version

How does WordSec protect against this?

Requests carrying this pattern arrive without a session, so nothing upstream of the firewall gets a chance to reject them: WordSec's web application firewall inspects request payloads before WordPress loads them. None of that substitutes for the fix: WordPress User Extra Fields 16.7 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

Firewall
Login Security
Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-11150 https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/ad39d797-9230-41d9-a335-864845b56aa0 https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-11150

Related records

Same weakness class

Other vulnerabilities in WordPress User Extra Fields

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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