WordPress through 4.9.6 allows Author users to execute arbitrary code by leveraging directory traversal in the wp-admin/post.php thumb parameter, which is passed to the PHP unlink function and can delete the wp-config.php file. This is related to missing filename validation in the wp-includes/post.php wp_delete_attachment function. The attacker must have capabilities for files and posts that are normally available only to the Author, Editor, and Administrator roles. The attack methodology is to delete wp-config.php and then launch a new installation process to increase the attacker's privileges.
The product uses external input to construct a pathname that is intended to identify a file or directory that is located underneath a restricted parent directory, but the product does not properly neutralize special elements within the pathname that can cause the pathname to resolve to a location that is outside of the restricted directory.
| Link | Tags |
|---|---|
| https://blog.ripstech.com/2018/wordpress-file-delete-to-code-execution/ | third party advisory |
| http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/104569 | third party advisory vdb entry |
| https://www.debian.org/security/2018/dsa-4250 | third party advisory vendor advisory |
| https://wpvulndb.com/vulnerabilities/9100 | third party advisory |
| https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2018/07/msg00046.html | third party advisory mailing list |
| http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/164633/WordPress-4.9.6-Arbitrary-File-Deletion.html | third party advisory vdb entry exploit |