Overview
This report covers the details of the CVE-2015-10134 vulnerability found in the Simple Backup plugin for WordPress. This arbitrary file download vulnerability affects versions up to and including 2.7.10. The vulnerability allows potential attackers to download sensitive files, which could lead to a system compromise or data leakage.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2015-10134
Severity: High (7.5 CVSS Score)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Impact: System compromise and data leakage
Affected Products
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Product | Affected Versions
Simple Backup WordPress Plugin | Up to and including 2.7.10
How the Exploit Works
The vulnerability, present in the download_backup_file function, arises from a lack of capability checks and file type validation. This allows an attacker to send a specially crafted request to the affected site, leading to the download of sensitive files such as the wp-config.php file, which contains crucial information about the site’s configuration.
Conceptual Example Code
Below is a conceptual example of how the vulnerability might be exploited. This is an HTTP request targeting the vulnerable endpoint.
GET /wp-content/plugins/simple-backup/download_backup_file.php?file=../../../../wp-config.php HTTP/1.1
Host: vulnerable-website.com
In this example, the file parameter in the request URL is manipulated to traverse the directory structure and download the wp-config.php file.
Mitigation Guidance
To mitigate this vulnerability, users should apply the vendor-supplied patch as soon as possible. If this is not immediately possible, using a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can provide temporary mitigation. Regularly updating and patching software is a critical part of maintaining strong cybersecurity practices.

