The Simple File List plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to arbitrary file modification due to insufficient authorization checks in all versions up to, and including, 6.3.7. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to delete and modify files on the serve. This vulnerability is exploitable even when the administrator has not enabled the AllowFrontManage setting, because the is_admin() check unconditionally short-circuits the guard before that setting is evaluated.
Weakness
The product does not perform an authorization check when an actor attempts to access a resource or perform an action.
Potential Mitigations
- Divide the product into anonymous, normal, privileged, and administrative areas. Reduce the attack surface by carefully mapping roles with data and functionality. Use role-based access control (RBAC) [REF-229] to enforce the roles at the appropriate boundaries.
- Note that this approach may not protect against horizontal authorization, i.e., it will not protect a user from attacking others with the same role.
- Use a vetted library or framework that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid.
- For example, consider using authorization frameworks such as the JAAS Authorization Framework [REF-233] and the OWASP ESAPI Access Control feature [REF-45].
- For web applications, make sure that the access control mechanism is enforced correctly at the server side on every page. Users should not be able to access any unauthorized functionality or information by simply requesting direct access to that page.
- One way to do this is to ensure that all pages containing sensitive information are not cached, and that all such pages restrict access to requests that are accompanied by an active and authenticated session token associated with a user who has the required permissions to access that page.
Related Attack Patterns
References
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/simple-file-list/tags/6.3.6/includes/ee-functions.php#L1265
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/simple-file-list/tags/6.3.6/includes/ee-functions.php#L1586
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/simple-file-list/tags/6.3.6/includes/ee-functions.php#L880
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/simple-file-list/tags/6.3.6/includes/ee-list-display.php#L473
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/simple-file-list/tags/6.3.6/simple-file-list.php#L262
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset?sfp_email=\u0026sfph_mail=\u0026reponame=\u0026old=3579098%40simple-file-list\u0026new=3579098%40simple-file-list\u0026sfp_email=\u0026sfph_mail=
- https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/509a40d2-a33a-49ba-b858-fa8805127a1b?source=cve