Mitigation Strategies

To mitigate this vulnerability, you should update the CMP – Coming Soon & Maintenance Plugin by NiteoThemes to a version later than 4.1.16 where this issue is fixed.

Additionally, restrict plugin access to only trusted Administrator-level users, as the vulnerability requires at least Administrator privileges to exploit.

Consider monitoring and restricting the ability to perform AJAX actions related to `cmp_theme_update_install` to prevent unauthorized file uploads.

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Executive Summary

The CMP – Coming Soon & Maintenance Plugin by NiteoThemes for WordPress is vulnerable to arbitrary file upload and remote code execution in all versions up to and including 4.1.16. This occurs via the `cmp_theme_update_install` AJAX action because the function only checks for the `publish_pages` capability (which Editors and above have) instead of the more restrictive `manage_options` capability (Administrators only). Additionally, there is no proper validation of the user-supplied file URL and no verification of the downloaded file's content before extraction.

As a result, authenticated attackers with Administrator-level access or higher can force the server to download and extract a malicious ZIP file from a remote attacker-controlled URL into a web-accessible directory (`wp-content/plugins/cmp-premium-themes/`), leading to remote code execution. Editors cannot exploit this vulnerability due to the lack of a nonce.

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Impact Analysis

This vulnerability can allow an attacker with Administrator-level access to upload and execute arbitrary code on the affected WordPress server. This can lead to full compromise of the website, including unauthorized access, data theft, defacement, or using the server as a launchpad for further attacks.

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Compliance Impact

This vulnerability allows authenticated attackers with Administrator-level access to execute arbitrary code on the server by uploading and extracting malicious files. Such unauthorized remote code execution can lead to unauthorized access, data breaches, and potential manipulation or exposure of sensitive information.

Consequently, organizations using the affected plugin may face increased risks of non-compliance with standards and regulations like GDPR and HIPAA, which require protection of personal and sensitive data against unauthorized access and breaches.

However, the provided information does not explicitly describe the direct impact on compliance or specific regulatory consequences.

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