WP Background Takeover < 4.1.5 - Directory Traversal
Strategic Overview
- Status
- Patched in 4.1.5
- Affected Plugin
- WP Background Takeover
- Affected Version
<= 4.1.4- CVSS
- 7.5High
- Weakness type
- CWE-22 · Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
- CVE
CVE-2018-9118
At a glance
CVE-2018-9118 is a high-severity Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') vulnerability in the WP Background Takeover WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 4.1.4. 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 4.1.5; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed April 2018, reported by Colette Chamberland.
Vulnerability Overview
exports/download.php in the 99 Robots WP Background Takeover Advertisements plugin before 4.1.5 for WordPress has Directory Traversal via a .. in the filename 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 Background Takeover <= 4.1.4 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 Background Takeover the fix is 4.1.5: builds <= 4.1.4 are affected, anything from 4.1.5 onward is not.
Remediation
Update to version 4.1.5, or a newer patched version
How does WordSec protect against this?
The attempt arrives as an ordinary request to WP Background Takeover: WordSec's web application firewall inspects request payloads before WordPress loads them. None of that substitutes for the fix: WP Background Takeover 4.1.5 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.
- Firewall
- Alerts
External References
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