WordPress WP-PageNavi Information Disclosure Scanner

WordPress WP-PageNavi is a widely used plugin within the WordPress ecosystem. It provides users with advanced pagination features to enhance site navigation and user experience. The plugin is predominantly used by bloggers, e-commerce sites, and any content-rich web platforms relying on WordPress for their content management. Developed to integrate seamlessly with WordPress themes, it allows extensive customization and improves site aesthetics and functionality. Installed in millions of websites globally, its ability to efficiently handle navigation makes it a vital tool for web developers and site administrators. WP-PageNavi is the choice for those seeking to provide better pagination options to their users.

Information Disclosure vulnerabilities occur when software applications unintentionally expose sensitive data to unauthorized users. In the case of the WordPress WP-PageNavi plugin, certain files are left publicly accessible, resulting in unprotected paths in the server directory structure. Accessing these unsecured paths may result in PHP error messages revealing the server's directory structure. Disclosure of this sensitive path information could potentially aid attackers in crafting more targeted attacks. It is crucial for site administrators to address this type of vulnerability to avoid unintended data exposure.

The vulnerability is caused by the plugin's failure to protect certain files against direct access. This is due to the absence of the ABSPATH constant check within the plugin files. When these files are directly accessed via a GET request, PHP errors can occur, displaying detailed path and error messages in the response body. Attackers typically look for specific error messages like "Fatal error" and "Uncaught Error:" which can confirm the presence of the vulnerability. These error messages can leak crucial information about the target's server environment, which attackers might subsequently exploit.

Exploiting this vulnerability could lead to significant security incidents. Attackers might use the disclosed path information as a foothold for further attacks, such as local file inclusion or even remote code execution if other conditions allow. The exposure of path information might also assist attackers in understanding the server's structure, helping them to plan more sophisticated attacks targeting other vulnerabilities. Protecting against this information disclosure is important to prevent potentially severe security breaches.

REFERENCES

• https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-pagenavi/