high CVSS 7.5 EPSS 0.53%

CVE-2024-43135·PHP vulnerability

Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') vulnerability in Themewinter WPCafe allows PHP Local File Inclusion.This issue affects WPCafe: from n/a through 2.2.28.

Severity
high
Software
PHP
Fixed in
2.2.29
Published

How likely is exploitation

FIRST's Exploit Prediction Scoring System puts the probability of this CVE being exploited in the next 30 days at 0.53% — higher than 41% of all published CVEs. EPSS is an independent forecast of exploitation, not a severity rating: it says nothing about how much damage a successful attack does, which is what a CVSS score measures.

Read the two together. CVE-2024-43135 scores 7.5 on CVSS, so a successful attack would be serious — but at 0.53%, almost nobody is currently attempting it. That is a different situation from a flaw under mass exploitation, and it is usually the difference between patching on your next maintenance window and patching tonight.

Affected versions

Until: 2.2.29

Fixed in: 2.2.29

How to fix this CVE

If you are running the Themewinter WPCafe WordPress plugin on a PHP-enabled server, update WPCafe to version 2.2.29 or later immediately to patch the path traversal vulnerability that enables local file inclusion attacks. This flaw allows authenticated attackers to read arbitrary files from your server's filesystem through crafted requests. Verify the plugin update is installed and test that file access controls are functioning properly after patching.

sudo dnf upgrade php

Defensia detects this vulnerability

What an exploitation attempt looks like

Sample log line indicative of exploitation attempts:

POST|GET /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php?action=.*&.*=\.\./|\.\.\\.*(?:wp-config\.php|wp-settings\.php|/etc/passwd|/etc/shadow)

WAF mitigation (if patching is not yet possible)

Add this rule to your WAF to block exploitation attempts while you schedule the patch. 

Block HTTP requests to wp-admin/admin-ajax.php that contain path traversal sequences (../ or ..\ in query parameters). Implement a rule to deny requests with encoded traversal patterns (%2e%2e%2f) and restrict file inclusion to whitelisted directories within wp-content/plugins/wp-cafe/.

How to check if you are affected

  1. Step 1: Check installed PHP version with `php -v` and verify it is a current, supported release
  2. Step 2: List installed WordPress plugins with `wp plugin list --allow-root` (if WP-CLI is available) or browse the wp-content/plugins directory to confirm WPCafe version: `grep -i 'Version:' /path/to/wp-content/plugins/wp-cafe/wp-cafe.php | head -1`
  3. Step 3: Search web server access and error logs for suspicious file inclusion patterns: `grep -E '\.\./(wp-config|etc/passwd|index\.php)' /var/log/apache2/access.log /var/log/nginx/access.log 2>/dev/null`
  4. Step 4: After updating WPCafe to 2.2.29, re-run the plugin version check to confirm the update: `wp plugin get wp-cafe --allow-root | grep Version` or manually inspect the plugin header

FAQ

What is CVE-2024-43135?

CVE-2024-43135 is a path traversal vulnerability in the WPCafe WordPress plugin (versions up to 2.2.28) that allows authenticated users with low privileges to include and execute arbitrary files from the server's filesystem, potentially exposing sensitive configuration files or executing malicious code.

Is CVE-2024-43135 being actively exploited?

No; this vulnerability is not listed on the CISA KEV catalog and no public exploits have been released, though organizations should still prioritize patching due to the high CVSS score and the ease of exploitation once methods become known.

What versions of the WPCafe plugin are affected by CVE-2024-43135?

WPCafe versions 2.2.28 and earlier are vulnerable. Version 2.2.29 and later include the security fix.

How do I check if my server is vulnerable to CVE-2024-43135?

Run `grep -i 'Version:' /path/to/wp-content/plugins/wp-cafe/wp-cafe.php` and confirm the version is 2.2.29 or higher; if the version is 2.2.28 or lower, your installation is vulnerable.

Does Defensia detect CVE-2024-43135?

Yes — Defensia's CVE advisory scanner compares installed package versions against the NVD database. If the WPCafe plugin is installed on a monitored WordPress server, CVE-2024-43135 will appear in your dashboard with remediation steps.

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References

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