CVE-2023-6295
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability allows administrators on WordPress Multisite installations to perform Local File Inclusion (LFI) attacks by exploiting insufficient input validation in the SiteOrigin Widgets Bundle plugin. Attackers can read arbitrary files on the server, potentially accessing sensitive configuration files or source code. Only WordPress Multisite installations with the vulnerable plugin are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- SiteOrigin Widgets Bundle WordPress plugin
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Administrator credentials are compromised, allowing attackers to read sensitive server files like wp-config.php (containing database credentials), /etc/passwd, or other configuration files, leading to full server compromise.
Likely Case
Attackers with administrator access read sensitive WordPress configuration files to extract database credentials or other secrets, enabling further attacks.
If Mitigated
With proper access controls limiting administrator roles to trusted users only, the impact is reduced to authorized users who shouldn't have this capability.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires administrator-level access on WordPress Multisite. The vulnerability is publicly documented with technical details.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 1.51.0
Vendor Advisory: https://wpscan.com/vulnerability/adc9ed9f-55b4-43a9-a79d-c7120764f47c
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Log into WordPress admin panel. 2. Navigate to Plugins → Installed Plugins. 3. Find 'SiteOrigin Widgets Bundle'. 4. Click 'Update Now' if update is available. 5. Alternatively, download version 1.51.0+ from WordPress.org and manually update.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Remove vulnerable plugin
allTemporarily disable or remove the SiteOrigin Widgets Bundle plugin until patched
wp plugin deactivate siteorigin-widgets
wp plugin delete siteorigin-widgets
Restrict administrator access
allReview and limit administrator roles to only essential, trusted users on Multisite installations
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict access controls to limit administrator roles to trusted personnel only
- Deploy web application firewall (WAF) rules to block LFI patterns and monitor for suspicious file inclusion attempts
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check WordPress admin → Plugins → Installed Plugins for SiteOrigin Widgets Bundle version. If version is below 1.51.0 and WordPress is Multisite, the system is vulnerable.Check Version:
wp plugin get siteorigin-widgets --field=versionVerify Fix Applied:
Confirm SiteOrigin Widgets Bundle plugin version is 1.51.0 or higher in WordPress admin panel.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual file inclusion patterns in web server logs (e.g., attempts to include /etc/passwd, wp-config.php via plugin parameters)
- Administrator users accessing unusual plugin endpoints with file path parameters
Network Indicators:
- HTTP requests containing file path traversal patterns to SiteOrigin Widgets Bundle endpoints
SIEM Query:
web_access_logs WHERE url CONTAINS 'siteorigin-widgets' AND (url CONTAINS '../' OR url CONTAINS '/etc/' OR url CONTAINS 'wp-config')