WordPress The Events Calendar Improper File Process Scanner

The WordPress The Events Calendar plugin is widely used by event organizers, website developers, and businesses to manage and display events on WordPress websites. This software enables users to create, manage, and showcase events with ease, offering integration with popular platforms and tools. The Events Calendar plugin is known for its versatility and extensive feature set, which make it a popular choice for users seeking to enhance their WordPress sites with event management functionality. Despite its wide adoption, it's crucial that the plugin is kept secure to prevent vulnerabilities from being exploited. Regular updates and maintenance checks are recommended to ensure the plugin's stability and security.

The vulnerability detected in the WordPress The Events Calendar plugin involves improper file process handling, specifically full path disclosure. This issue arises when an attacker can gain direct access to specific plugin files, which in turn reveals sensitive information such as the full path of files on the server. Vulnerabilities like this can lead to further exploitation attempts if not properly mitigated. Full path disclosure can aid attackers in crafting more sophisticated attacks against the system. This specific detection aims to identify improper file handling that may lead to unnecessary exposure of critical server information.

Technical details reveal that by sending a crafted GET request to certain plugin paths, the server responds with a full path disclosure error message. Vulnerable files include specific PHP scripts within the plugin directory, and the vulnerability is present when error information is exposed containing keywords like "Fatal error", "the-events-calendar", and "Uncaught Error:". Securing these endpoints is key to reducing the risk of information disclosure. The plugin's configuration files need to be correctly managed to avoid improper exposure of file paths.

When exploited, this vulnerability can result in attackers gaining knowledge of the server's directory structure. This information can be instrumental for attackers, making it easier to target other potential vulnerabilities such as injection flaws or unauthorized access. Exploiting this issue may lead to a series of attacks on the website, disrupting services or compromising user data. Organizations must mitigate these effects by enforcing proper error handling and limiting exposure of non-essential information.

REFERENCES

• https://wordpress.org/plugins/the-events-calendar/