WordPress Aspose PDF Exporter Local File Inclusion Scanner

WordPress Aspose PDF Exporter is a plugin used on WordPress CMS platforms across various industries for converting WordPress posts and pages into PDFs, ensuring ease of document sharing and storage. Maintained by a specific developer ecosystem, it is utilized by content managers, bloggers, and developers who need simple solutions for document format conversion. Its primary function is to allow users to export content directly from WordPress into a PDF document. The plugin integrates seamlessly into the WordPress environment, providing a user-friendly interface for non-technical users. Often used by small to medium enterprises, it plays a vital role in digital documentation processes. Thus, due to its importance in content management, having vulnerabilities within the plugin can pose significant security risks to the systems using it.

The Local File Inclusion (LFI) vulnerability allows an attacker to include files, which can be local or sometimes remote, through the web server. In this particular case, WordPress Aspose PDF Exporter can be exploited through a file parameter in the plugin's script, allowing unauthorized users to access sensitive files on the server. This vulnerability occurs due to insufficient input validation of the file parameter that accepts user input without proper sanitation. It's among the high-severity vulnerabilities, given its potential to expose configuration files, the application's source code, and user data. The impact of such vulnerabilities is critical as they can be exploited without any authentication or user interactions. Strong access control measures and input validations are crucial in preventing such weaknesses.

The vulnerability is specifically located within the 'aspose_pdf_exporter_download.php' script of the plugin, which fails to validate user input effectively. It allows crafted requests that traverse directories using '../' sequences to access unauthorized files. The executed requests against the vulnerable parameter can reveal files such as 'wp-config.php' that contain sensitive information such as database credentials. By manipulating the file input, attackers bypass intended sequential accessing, leading to exposure of the content present in the target file. Corrective measures typically involve implementing proper path sanitization and restricting file access permissions. Such vulnerabilities highlight the need for better code practices and regular security audits to ensure application safety.

If this vulnerability is successfully exploited by attackers, they could gain access to sensitive application and user data, which can lead to unauthorized information disclosure. Specifically, access to the 'wp-config.php' file exposes database connection strings and other critical WordPress configuration data. Attackers could leverage this access to manipulate the database, leading to data breaches or further infiltration into the server system. The integrity of the website could be compromised, potentially leading to data theft, alteration, or deletion. Furthermore, the LFI flaw could escalate to remote code executions if the attacker finds a way to access PHP files that execute shell commands.

REFERENCES

• https://packetstormsecurity.com/files/131161
• https://wordpress.org/plugins/aspose-pdf-exporter