AffiliateWP WordPress Plugin Information Disclosure Scanner

The WordPress Plugin AffiliateWP is a popular plugin used by WordPress site owners to manage and track affiliate marketing campaigns. It is widely used by small to large businesses that run affiliate programs to increase their sales and visibility. This plugin facilitates the management of affiliate registrations, tracking affiliate referrals, and processing payouts. With features like real-time reporting and API integration, it is designed for efficiency and ease of use. The plugin is typically utilized by marketers and e-commerce websites to manage relationships with affiliate marketers. Due to its functionality, it holds crucial data related to affiliates and transactions.

The Information Disclosure vulnerability in the AffiliateWP plugin arises from exposed debug logs. Such vulnerabilities can lead to sensitive information being unintentionally available to unauthorized users. When logs contain information about the system or users, it poses a risk of confidentiality breaches. This vulnerability is rated low severity but can lead to significant security risks if leveraged correctly. Unprotected log files can include sensitive data which attackers may use for further exploitation. The vulnerability is particularly concerning in environments handling sensitive affiliate data and personal information.

Technical details reveal that the vulnerability specifically involves the exposed affwp-debug.log file within the uploads directory. This file may contain log entries such as 'Referral could not be retrieved' and 'Affiliate CSV', indicating issues encountered by the system. Accessible via a predictable URL path, the file is served with a status code 200 and 'text/plain' content-type headers, making it easily accessible through web requests. The log files do not have appropriate protection and checks thus become available to anyone possessing the file path. Such details underscore the need for secure handling of logs by ensuring access controls around debug files.

When exploited, this vulnerability can allow unauthorized individuals to read sensitives logs revealing potential weaknesses or information about the codebase. This might include URLs, database queries, or system secret information lending itself to further attacks such as SQL injection or system intrusion. Furthermore, detailed logs might expose business-critical information and the personal data of affiliates, leading to reputational damage and potential legal consequences. Exploiting this flaw could be part of a larger strategy by attackers to map the application and find further weaknesses to exploit.