Overview
The Backup Migration WordPress plugin, a popular choice for WordPress site owners looking to backup and migrate their data, has been identified as the source of a significant vulnerability. This vulnerability, designated as CVE-2023-6271, potentially exposes sensitive backup data to attackers. The impact of this vulnerability is immense as it could lead to system compromise and data leakage.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2023-6271
Severity: High (CVSS: 7.5)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Impact: Potential system compromise or data leakage
Affected Products
Escape the Surveillance Era
Most apps won’t tell you the truth.
They’re part of the problem.
Phone numbers. Emails. Profiles. Logs.
It’s all fuel for surveillance.
Ameeba Chat gives you a way out.
- • No phone number
- • No email
- • No personal info
- • Anonymous aliases
- • End-to-end encrypted
Chat without a trace.
Product | Affected Versions
Backup Migration | Before 1.3.6
How the Exploit Works
The vulnerability stems from the plugin’s storage methodology. The Backup Migration WordPress plugin before version 1.3.6 doesn’t adequately secure in-progress backup data. Instead, it stores this information in publicly accessible files. Cyber attackers monitoring these backups could extract this sensitive data, potentially gaining unauthorized access to the system or leaking confidential information.
Conceptual Example Code
A conceptual example of exploiting this vulnerability might involve an HTTP request to the publicly accessible backup file. The attacker could potentially use a command like this:
GET /path-to-backup-file/backupfile.bak HTTP/1.1
Host: vulnerablewebsite.com
This command tries to access the backup file directly. If the file is indeed publicly accessible, the server would return it, and the attacker could then analyze its content for sensitive information.
Mitigation Guidance
To mitigate this vulnerability, users are advised to apply the latest patch provided by the vendor. In case the patch is not yet available, users can resort to using Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) as temporary mitigation. These measures will help in detecting and preventing any unauthorized access attempts.

