CVE-2011-0701 in WordPress
Summary
by MITRE
wp-admin/async-upload.php in the media uploader in WordPress before 3.0.5 allows remote authenticated users to read (1) draft posts or (2) private posts via a modified attachment_id parameter.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/19/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-0701 resides within the WordPress media uploader functionality, specifically in the wp-admin/async-upload.php file. This issue affects WordPress versions prior to 3.0.5 and represents a significant authorization bypass flaw that undermines the platform's content access controls. The vulnerability manifests when authenticated users manipulate the attachment_id parameter, enabling them to access draft and private content that should remain restricted to authorized personnel only. This weakness directly compromises the confidentiality and integrity of sensitive content within WordPress installations.
The technical flaw stems from insufficient input validation and access control checks within the asynchronous upload handler. When users submit media attachments through the WordPress admin interface, the system should verify that the authenticated user has proper authorization to access the specified attachment_id. However, the vulnerable code fails to properly validate whether the requesting user has sufficient privileges to view the target post, allowing malicious actors to exploit this gap by simply modifying the attachment_id parameter to reference draft or private posts. This represents a classic case of improper access control as classified under CWE-285, where the system does not adequately enforce authorization checks before granting access to protected resources.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it enables unauthorized access to sensitive draft content that may contain unpublished business strategies, confidential communications, or proprietary information. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to gain insights into unpublished content, potentially leading to competitive intelligence theft, reputation damage, or even business disruption. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires only authenticated access, meaning that any user with valid WordPress credentials can exploit this flaw, making it a significant threat to content confidentiality across all WordPress installations running vulnerable versions.
Organizations should prioritize immediate remediation by upgrading to WordPress version 3.0.5 or later, which includes the necessary patches to address this access control weakness. Additionally, administrators should implement proper network segmentation and access controls to limit exposure, while monitoring for suspicious activities in media upload operations. The vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1213.002 for data from information repositories, where adversaries access restricted content through improper access controls. Security teams should also consider implementing web application firewalls to detect and block parameter manipulation attempts, and conduct regular security assessments to identify similar authorization bypass vulnerabilities in custom plugins or themes that may be present in the WordPress ecosystem.