Tinymce Thumbnail Gallery Local File Inclusion Scanner

The Tinymce Thumbnail Gallery is a WordPress plugin designed for enhancing the visual experience by integrating thumbnail galleries into posts and pages. It is frequently used by website administrators and designers who aim to manage and display images efficiently within their WordPress sites. This tool simplifies the process of creating engaging image sections, allowing customization and easy client-side implementation. As it interacts directly with the WordPress backend and database, any vulnerability in such a plugin can lead to severe security implications. Its usage spans across entertainment, portfolios, blogging sites, and any web applications that require an organized image display. Due to its widespread usage, maintaining security and functionality through regular updates and vulnerability checks is crucial.

The vulnerability identified within Tinymce Thumbnail Gallery pertains to Local File Inclusion (LFI). This vulnerability allows an attacker to include local files on the server, leading potentially to unauthorized file access. The issue arises typically from improper validation or sanitization of user inputs, allowing attackers to craft requests that retrieve unintended files. LFIs can pose serious security risks as they might expose sensitive data and configuration files. Understanding and mitigating such vulnerabilities is crucial for maintaining the integrity of any platform using this plugin. Failure to address LFI vulnerabilities can result in data breaches and compromised server security.

The LFI vulnerability in this particular plugin is related to the download-image.php script, which is not properly handling user inputs. Attackers can manipulate the 'href' parameter to traverse directories and gain access to sensitive files like wp-config.php. The request crafted by attackers exploits this parameter's insufficient validation, allowing directory traversal. By sending an appropriately structured GET request, attackers can retrieve local files stored on the web server. Given that this affects core configuration files, the impact of exploitation could be substantial, comprising database credentials and other sensitive configurations. Implementing effective input validation mechanisms can mitigate such risks.

When exploited, this LFI vulnerability could have significant adverse effects on the security of the affected WordPress site. Malicious actors could leverage this to access sensitive configuration files, potentially leading to unauthorized access and data theft. As this involves reading arbitrary files on the server, information such as database credentials, encryption keys, or other confidential data can be compromised. This might further lead to unauthorized database manipulation, account takeover, and other malicious activities. In severe cases, attackers might escalate their privileges and gain complete control over the entire web application.

REFERENCES

• https://wpscan.com/vulnerability/4a49b023-c1c9-4cc4-a2fd-af5f911bb400
• http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/tinymce-thumbnail-gallery/