CVE-2014-5014
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands on WordPress sites using the Flash Uploader plugin before version 3.1.3. Attackers can exploit improper input validation in the image_magic_path parameter to inject and execute system commands. Any WordPress site with the vulnerable plugin version is affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- WordPress Flash Uploader Plugin
📦 What is this software?
Wordpress Flash Uploader by Tinywebgallery
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Complete system compromise with remote code execution, allowing attackers to install malware, steal data, deface websites, or pivot to internal networks.
Likely Case
Website defacement, data theft, or installation of backdoors for persistent access.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper network segmentation and least privilege configurations, potentially only affecting the web application layer.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation involves manipulating the image_magic_path parameter with invalid characters to inject commands.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 3.1.3
Vendor Advisory: https://wordpress.org/plugins/wordpress-flash-uploader/changelog/
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Log into WordPress admin panel. 2. Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins. 3. Find 'WordPress Flash Uploader' and click 'Update Now' if available. 4. Alternatively, download version 3.1.3+ from WordPress plugin repository and manually update.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Plugin
allTemporarily disable the vulnerable plugin until patched.
wp plugin deactivate wordpress-flash-uploader
Remove Plugin
allCompletely remove the plugin from the WordPress installation.
wp plugin delete wordpress-flash-uploader
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to block requests containing command injection patterns in image_magic_path parameter.
- Restrict network access to affected WordPress instances and implement network segmentation to limit potential lateral movement.
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check WordPress admin panel under Plugins > Installed Plugins for 'WordPress Flash Uploader' version. If version is below 3.1.3, it is vulnerable.Check Version:
wp plugin get wordpress-flash-uploader --field=versionVerify Fix Applied:
Confirm plugin version is 3.1.3 or higher in WordPress admin panel.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual POST requests to upload endpoints with suspicious characters in parameters
- System command execution logs from web server process
Network Indicators:
- HTTP requests containing shell metacharacters like ;, |, &, or $( ) in image_magic_path parameter
SIEM Query:
source="web_logs" AND (url_path="/wp-content/plugins/wordpress-flash-uploader/" OR parameter="image_magic_path") AND (parameter_value MATCHES '[;|&$()]')