Vulnerabilities > CVE-2017-6514 - Information Exposure vulnerability in Wordpress 4.7.2

047910
CVSS 5.3 - MEDIUM
Attack vector
NETWORK
Attack complexity
LOW
Privileges required
NONE
Confidentiality impact
LOW
Integrity impact
NONE
Availability impact
NONE
network
low complexity
wordpress
CWE-200
nessus

Summary

WordPress 4.7.2 mishandles listings of post authors, which allows remote attackers to obtain sensitive information (Path Disclosure) via a /wp-json/oembed/1.0/embed?url= request, related to the "author_name":" substring.

Vulnerable Configurations

Part Description Count
Application
Wordpress
1

Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE)

Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)

  • Subverting Environment Variable Values
    The attacker directly or indirectly modifies environment variables used by or controlling the target software. The attacker's goal is to cause the target software to deviate from its expected operation in a manner that benefits the attacker.
  • Footprinting
    An attacker engages in probing and exploration activity to identify constituents and properties of the target. Footprinting is a general term to describe a variety of information gathering techniques, often used by attackers in preparation for some attack. It consists of using tools to learn as much as possible about the composition, configuration, and security mechanisms of the targeted application, system or network. Information that might be collected during a footprinting effort could include open ports, applications and their versions, network topology, and similar information. While footprinting is not intended to be damaging (although certain activities, such as network scans, can sometimes cause disruptions to vulnerable applications inadvertently) it may often pave the way for more damaging attacks.
  • Exploiting Trust in Client (aka Make the Client Invisible)
    An attack of this type exploits a programs' vulnerabilities in client/server communication channel authentication and data integrity. It leverages the implicit trust a server places in the client, or more importantly, that which the server believes is the client. An attacker executes this type of attack by placing themselves in the communication channel between client and server such that communication directly to the server is possible where the server believes it is communicating only with a valid client. There are numerous variations of this type of attack.
  • Browser Fingerprinting
    An attacker carefully crafts small snippets of Java Script to efficiently detect the type of browser the potential victim is using. Many web-based attacks need prior knowledge of the web browser including the version of browser to ensure successful exploitation of a vulnerability. Having this knowledge allows an attacker to target the victim with attacks that specifically exploit known or zero day weaknesses in the type and version of the browser used by the victim. Automating this process via Java Script as a part of the same delivery system used to exploit the browser is considered more efficient as the attacker can supply a browser fingerprinting method and integrate it with exploit code, all contained in Java Script and in response to the same web page request by the browser.
  • Session Credential Falsification through Prediction
    This attack targets predictable session ID in order to gain privileges. The attacker can predict the session ID used during a transaction to perform spoofing and session hijacking.

Nessus

NASL familyCGI abuses
NASL idWORDPRESS_4_7_3.NASL
descriptionAccording to its self-reported version number, the WordPress application running on the remote web server is prior to 4.7.3. It is, therefore, affected by multiple vulnerabilities : - A cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability exists in the wp_playlist_shortcode() function within the /wp-includes/media.php script due to a failure to validate input passed via audio file metadata before returning it to users. An unauthenticated, remote attacker can exploit this, via a specially crafted request, to execute arbitrary script code in a user
last seen2020-06-01
modified2020-06-02
plugin id97635
published2017-03-09
reporterThis script is Copyright (C) 2017-2019 and is owned by Tenable, Inc. or an Affiliate thereof.
sourcehttps://www.tenable.com/plugins/nessus/97635
titleWordPress < 4.7.3 Multiple Vulnerabilities
code
#
# (C) Tenable Network Security, Inc.
#

include("compat.inc");

if (description)
{
  script_id(97635);
  script_version("1.11");
  script_cvs_date("Date: 2019/11/13");

  script_cve_id(
    "CVE-2017-6514",
    "CVE-2017-6814",
    "CVE-2017-6815",
    "CVE-2017-6816",
    "CVE-2017-6817",
    "CVE-2017-6818",
    "CVE-2017-6819"
  );
  script_bugtraq_id(
    96598,
    96600,
    96601,
    96602,
    108459
  );

  script_name(english:"WordPress < 4.7.3 Multiple Vulnerabilities");
  script_summary(english:"Checks the version of WordPress.");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"synopsis", value:
"A PHP application running on the remote web server is affected by
multiple vulnerabilities.");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"description", value:
"According to its self-reported version number, the WordPress
application running on the remote web server is prior to 4.7.3.
It is, therefore, affected by multiple vulnerabilities :

  - A cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability exists in the
    wp_playlist_shortcode() function within the
    /wp-includes/media.php script due to a failure to
    validate input passed via audio file metadata before
    returning it to users. An unauthenticated, remote
    attacker can exploit this, via a specially crafted
    request, to execute arbitrary script code in a user's
    browser session.

  - A cross-site redirection vulnerability exists due to
    a failure to validate input passed via control
    characters before returning it to users. An
    unauthenticated, remote attacker can exploit this, via
    a specially crafted link, to redirect a user from an
    intended legitimate website to an arbitrary website of
    the attacker's choosing.

  - An unspecified flaw exists in the plugin deletion
    functionality that allows an authenticated, remote
    attacker to delete unintended files.

  - A cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability exists due to
    a failure to validate input to video URLs in YouTube
    embeds before returning it to users. An unauthenticated,
    remote attacker can exploit this, via a specially
    crafted request, to execute arbitrary script code in a
    user's browser session.

  - A cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability exists due to
    a failure to validate input to taxonomy term names
    before returning it to users. An unauthenticated, remote
    attacker can exploit this, via a specially crafted
    request, to execute arbitrary script code in a user's
    browser session.

  - A cross-site request forgery (XSRF) vulnerability exists
    in the Press This functionality, specifically within
    /wp-admin/press-this.php when handling HTTP requests,
    due to a failure to require multiple steps, explicit
    confirmation, or a unique token when performing certain
    sensitive actions. An unauthenticated, remote attacker
    can exploit this, by convincing a user to follow a
    specially crafted link, to cause excessive consumption
    of server resources.

  - A DOM-based cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability
    exists in the renderTracks() function within the
    /wp-includes/js/mediaelement/wp-playlist.min.js script
    due to a failure to validate input passed via audio file
    metadata before returning it to users. An
    unauthenticated, remote attacker can exploit this, via a
    specially crafted request, to execute arbitrary script
    code in a user's browser session.
  
  - A directory traversal vulnerability exists in WordPress' wp-json component due to an error in post listing. An 
    unauthenticated, remote attacker can exploit this, by sending a URI that contains directory traversal characters, 
    to disclose the contents of files located outside of the server's restricted path.

Note that Nessus has not tested for these issues but has instead
relied only on the application's self-reported version number.");
  # https://wordpress.org/news/2017/03/wordpress-4-7-3-security-and-maintenance-release/
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"see_also", value:"http://www.nessus.org/u?071b0e36");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"see_also", value:"https://codex.wordpress.org/Version_4.7.3");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"solution", value:
"Upgrade to WordPress version 4.7.3 or later.");
  script_set_cvss_base_vector("CVSS2#AV:N/AC:M/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:N");
  script_set_cvss_temporal_vector("CVSS2#E:U/RL:OF/RC:C");
  script_set_cvss3_base_vector("CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N");
  script_set_cvss3_temporal_vector("CVSS:3.0/E:U/RL:O/RC:C");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cvss_score_source", value:"CVE-2017-6815");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"exploitability_ease", value:"No exploit is required");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"exploit_available", value:"false");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"vuln_publication_date", value:"2017/03/06");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"patch_publication_date", value:"2017/03/06");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_publication_date", value:"2017/03/09");

  script_set_attribute(attribute:"potential_vulnerability", value:"true");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"plugin_type", value:"remote");
  script_set_attribute(attribute:"cpe", value:"cpe:/a:wordpress:wordpress");
  script_end_attributes();

  script_category(ACT_GATHER_INFO);
  script_family(english:"CGI abuses");

  script_copyright(english:"This script is Copyright (C) 2017-2019 and is owned by Tenable, Inc. or an Affiliate thereof.");

  script_dependencies("wordpress_detect.nasl");
  script_require_keys("www/PHP", "installed_sw/WordPress", "Settings/ParanoidReport");
  script_require_ports("Services/www", 80, 443);

  exit(0);
}

include('vcf.inc');
include('http.inc');

if (report_paranoia < 2) audit(AUDIT_PARANOID);

port = get_http_port(default:80, php:TRUE);

app_info = vcf::get_app_info(app:'WordPress', port:port, webapp:TRUE);
vcf::check_granularity(app_info:app_info, sig_segments:2);

constraints = [
  { 'min_version':'2.8.1', 'fixed_version':'3.7.19', 'fixed_display' : '3.7.19 / 4.7.3' },
  { 'min_version':'3.8', 'fixed_version':'3.8.19', 'fixed_display' : '3.8.19 / 4.7.3' },
  { 'min_version':'3.9', 'fixed_version':'3.9.17', 'fixed_display' : '3.9.17 / 4.7.3' },
  { 'min_version':'4.0', 'fixed_version':'4.0.16', 'fixed_display' : '4.0.16 / 4.7.3' },
  { 'min_version':'4.1', 'fixed_version':'4.1.16', 'fixed_display' : '4.1.16 / 4.7.3' },
  { 'min_version':'4.2', 'fixed_version':'4.2.13', 'fixed_display' : '4.2.13 / 4.7.3' },
  { 'min_version':'4.3', 'fixed_version':'4.3.9', 'fixed_display' : '4.3.9 / 4.7.3' },
  { 'min_version':'4.4', 'fixed_version':'4.4.8', 'fixed_display' : '4.4.8 / 4.7.3' },
  { 'min_version':'4.5', 'fixed_version':'4.5.7', 'fixed_display' : '4.5.7 / 4.7.3' },
  { 'min_version':'4.6', 'fixed_version':'4.6.4', 'fixed_display' : '4.6.4 / 4.7.3' },
  { 'min_version':'4.7', 'fixed_version':'4.7.3', 'fixed_display' : '4.7.3' }
];

vcf::check_version_and_report(
  app_info:app_info,
  constraints:constraints,
  severity:SECURITY_WARNING,
  flags:{xss:TRUE, xsrf:TRUE}
);