CVE-2024-45293 Scanner

TablePress is a popular WordPress plugin often used by web developers and bloggers to easily create and manage tables within their WordPress sites without any coding. The plugin offers a user-friendly interface and supports different types of data inputs, including Excel sheets, making it highly preferred for content-heavy websites and online educational platforms. Due to its seamless integration with WordPress, TablePress is a top choice for users looking to enhance website functionality with minimal effort. It can be used extensively for creating responsive tables that include images, links, and other media, ensuring active engagement on web pages. Developers favor TablePress for its versatility and customization features, allowing them to adapt the plugin to the specific needs of their websites.

The XML External Entity (XXE) vulnerability identified in TablePress relates to how the plugin processes user-uploaded Excel (XLSX) sheets. This vulnerability could potentially expose server files and sensitive information if exploited, due to inadequate validation of XML input. Attackers can craft malicious XML data to bypass security restrictions and read arbitrary files from the server. This is particularly impactful when attackers can manipulate how external entities are processed by PHPSpreadsheet, the library used for reading XLSX files in TablePress. Through crafted payloads, attackers might execute out-of-bounds reads or disclosures of sensitive data. Consequently, awareness of this vulnerability is crucial for maintaining server security within affected WordPress installations.

The vulnerability details elucidate how the PHPSpreadsheet library could be tricked into accessing external entities by modifying XML structures with white spaces. This manipulation allows attackers to bypass security scanners intended to mitigate XXE attacks, leading to unauthorized file access on vulnerable servers. Specific parameters related to file imports within TablePress are leveraged to carry out these XXE attacks. The import[type] parameter, in particular, is crucial as it guides the import function, offering a pathway for attackers using specifically crafted XLSX files. The vulnerable endpoints include request handlers used in the import process, where manipulated XML payloads can be submitted.

If exploited, XXE vulnerabilities can significantly impact affected systems, potentially leading to unauthorized access to server files, disclosure of confidential information, and opening up further avenues for additional attacks or exploits. Successful attacks can undermine the integrity and confidentiality of the server's data, affecting websites or applications that rely on TablePress for managing content. Beyond immediate data leakage, prolonged exposure to such vulnerabilities might increase susceptibility to further attacks, potentially leading to further data breaches and erosion of user trust.