CVE-2011-3129 in WordPress
Summary
by MITRE
The file upload functionality WordPress 3.1 before 3.1.3 and 3.2 before Beta 2, when running "on hosts with dangerous security settings," has unknown impact and attack vectors, possibly related to dangerous filenames.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/17/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2011-3129 represents a critical security flaw in WordPress content management systems affecting versions prior to 3.1.3 and 3.2 Beta 2. This weakness specifically targets the file upload functionality within the platform, creating potential entry points for malicious actors seeking to compromise affected installations. The vulnerability's designation as potentially dangerous under "hosts with dangerous security settings" indicates that the risk is significantly amplified when server configurations lack proper security hardening measures. The ambiguous nature of the impact and attack vectors suggests that the vulnerability could enable various forms of exploitation depending on the specific hosting environment and security posture of the target system.
The technical flaw underlying CVE-2011-3129 stems from inadequate validation and sanitization of uploaded files, particularly concerning filename handling and content inspection. When WordPress processes file uploads, the system fails to properly validate the file extensions, MIME types, or actual file content against established security parameters. This weakness allows attackers to potentially upload malicious files with deceptive filenames that bypass standard security checks. The vulnerability's relationship to dangerous filenames indicates that attackers might exploit the system by uploading files with extensions that appear benign but contain malicious payloads, or by leveraging the system's failure to properly validate file attributes during the upload process.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple unauthorized file uploads, potentially enabling attackers to execute arbitrary code on vulnerable systems. When combined with dangerous server configurations, such as permissive file permissions or inadequate input validation, the vulnerability could allow adversaries to upload web shells, malicious scripts, or other harmful content that persists on the server. This capability fundamentally undermines the integrity of the WordPress installation and provides attackers with persistent access to compromise additional system resources or use the compromised server for further malicious activities. The vulnerability's potential for remote code execution makes it particularly dangerous in shared hosting environments where multiple sites exist on the same server infrastructure.
Security mitigations for CVE-2011-3129 should focus on immediate system updates to patched WordPress versions, along with comprehensive security hardening of server configurations. Organizations should implement strict file upload validation mechanisms that check both file extensions and actual content signatures rather than relying solely on filename extensions. The principle of least privilege should be enforced by configuring proper file permissions and restricting upload directories to prevent execution of uploaded files. Additionally, implementing web application firewalls and content inspection systems can provide additional layers of protection against malicious file uploads. This vulnerability aligns with CWE-434 which describes insecure file upload vulnerabilities, and represents a technique commonly associated with attack patterns documented in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the execution and persistence domains, particularly related to web shell deployment and maintaining access to compromised systems through file upload mechanisms.