CVE-2024-31231 - Rehub Theme Path Traversal Vulnerability Leading to PHP Local File Inclusion (LFI)

Security researchers have discovered a potentially critical vulnerability in the Sizam Design Rehub WordPress theme. Dubbed CVE-2024-31231, this vulnerability allows an attacker to exploit an Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') issue that leads to PHP Local File Inclusion (LFI). Rehub versions n/a through 19.6.1 are known to be affected by this vulnerability.

Exploit Details

The CVE-2024-31231 vulnerability arises due to a lack of proper input validation in the handling of user-supplied data. This allows an attacker to craft a malicious request having a specially encoded path that passes through the restrictions imposed by the Rehub theme’s file management system. When properly executed, the attacker can then include and execute local PHP files, potentially allowing them to execute arbitrary PHP code on the target server. To illustrate, consider the example below:

<?php
// Vulnerable code snippet
$filename = $_GET['file']; // User-supplied input
include($filename . '.php');
?>

This code is, in essence, loading a PHP file specified by the user (via the $_GET['file'] variable), which is a dangerous practice, as it allows an attacker to traverse and include files outside the limited directory scope. Suppose an attacker wants to include a local file named /etc/passwd on the target server. By making a request like the following:

http://vulnerable-site.com/page.php?file=../../../../etc/passwd

They can successfully exploit the path traversal vulnerability to include the target file.

The discovery and study of CVE-2024-31231 are attributed to the following sources

1. National Vulnerability Database (NVD) Entry
2. Vulnerability Analysis Blog Post

Mitigation

To protect your WordPress site from being exploited through the CVE-2024-31231 vulnerability, follow these steps:
1. Update your Rehub theme to the latest version (19.6.2 or later) as soon as possible. This is especially important if you are using a Rehub version below 19.6.1.
2. Make sure that your server software, WordPress core, and plugins are up to date and properly configured.

Conclusion

CVE-2024-31231 is a critical vulnerability in the Sizam Design Rehub WordPress theme that exposes a site to the risk of PHP Local File Inclusion due to a Path Traversal issue. Attackers can potentially exploit this to execute arbitrary PHP code on the target server. Site admins must ensure that their Rehub theme, server software, WordPress core, and plugins are all updated and maintained to minimize the risk of exploitation.

Timeline

Published on: 05/17/2024 09:15:31 UTC
Last modified on: 06/04/2024 17:36:15 UTC