CVE-2024-7426

Executive Summary

CVE-2024-7426 is a Full Path Disclosure vulnerability affecting the Community by PeepSo WordPress plugin, versions up to and including 6.4.6.0. This issue allows unauthenticated attackers to retrieve the full server path of the web application by directly accessing the sse.php file, which exposes error messages containing the path. While the information disclosed is not directly exploitable for code execution or data theft, it significantly aids in reconnaissance for further attacks, such as Local File Inclusion (LFI) or SQL injection. The vulnerability has a CVSS score of 5.3 (Medium) and currently has no known public exploit or patch.

Supply Chain & Package Security

This vulnerability is specific to the WordPress plugin ecosystem. The PeepSo plugin is distributed via the official WordPress Plugin Directory and third-party marketplaces. Users should verify the integrity of their plugin files by comparing checksums with the official repository. No known malicious packages have been associated with this CVE.

CVSS Breakdown & Threat Level

• CVSS Score: 5.3 (Medium)
• Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
• Attack Vector: Network
• Attack Complexity: Low
• Privileges Required: None
• User Interaction: None
• Scope: Unchanged
• Confidentiality Impact: Low (path disclosure)
• Integrity Impact: None
• Availability Impact: None

The low EPSS score (0.0%) indicates that exploitation is not currently widespread, but the low attack complexity and lack of authentication make it a trivial target for automated scanners.

Deep Dive & Mechanics

The vulnerability resides in the sse.php file within the PeepSo plugin directory. This file is intended for Server-Sent Events (SSE) functionality, but it lacks proper access controls and error handling. When an unauthenticated attacker directly requests sse.php, the plugin may generate PHP errors or warnings that include the full filesystem path (e.g., /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/peepso/sse.php). This occurs because the plugin does not suppress error output or validate the request context.

The root cause is a combination of:

• Direct access to sse.php without authentication checks.
• PHP error reporting enabled in the plugin’s execution context.
• Lack of a die() or exit() call when the file is accessed outside its intended workflow.

Vulnerable vs. Patched Code

Since no official patch is available, the vulnerable code is presumed to be in sse.php. A patched version would likely include:

Vulnerable (sse.php):

<?php
// No authentication check
// Error reporting may be enabled
ini_set('display_errors', 1);
// ... SSE logic that may fail and expose path
?>

Patched (hypothetical):

<?php
// Prevent direct access
if (!defined('ABSPATH')) {
    exit;
}
// Disable error display
ini_set('display_errors', 0);
// Add authentication check
if (!is_user_logged_in()) {
    wp_die('Unauthorized');
}
// ... SSE logic
?>

Exploitation & Lab Setup

Red Team

Prerequisites:

• A WordPress instance with PeepSo plugin version <= 6.4.6.0.
• No authentication required.

Exploitation Steps:

1. Identify the target WordPress site.
2. Send a GET request to the vulnerable endpoint:

   GET /wp-content/plugins/peepso/sse.php HTTP/1.1
   Host: target-site.com
   

3. Observe the response. If the plugin displays errors, the full path will be included in the response body or headers.

Example cURL command:

curl -v http://target-site.com/wp-content/plugins/peepso/sse.php

Expected output (partial):

HTTP/1.1 200 OK
...
Warning: require_once(/var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/peepso/sse.php): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /var/www/html/wp-content/plugins/peepso/sse.php on line 10

Blue Team

Detection:

• Monitor web server logs for requests to /wp-content/plugins/peepso/sse.php from unauthenticated sources.
• Look for error messages containing filesystem paths in responses.

Hunting Query (Splunk):

index=web sourcetype=access_combined uri="/wp-content/plugins/peepso/sse.php" status=200

Prevention:

• Implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF) rule to block direct access to sse.php.
• Disable PHP error display in production (display_errors = Off in php.ini).
• Use a security plugin to restrict direct access to plugin files.

Indicators of Compromise (IOCs)

• File Path: /wp-content/plugins/peepso/sse.php
• HTTP Request Pattern: GET /wp-content/plugins/peepso/sse.php
• Response Pattern: PHP warnings/errors containing filesystem paths (e.g., /var/www/html/...)
• Log Entry: "GET /wp-content/plugins/peepso/sse.php HTTP/1.1" 200

Detection Engineering

YARA Rule

rule CVE_2024_7426_PeepSo_Path_Disclosure {
    meta:
        description = "Detects PeepSo plugin sse.php file with potential path disclosure"
        author = "Valters IT"
        date = "2025-04-10"
        reference = "CVE-2024-7426"
    strings:
        $sse_file = "sse.php"
        $path_pattern = /\/var\/www\/[a-zA-Z0-9\/_\-]+/
        $error_pattern = /Warning:|Fatal error:|Parse error:/
    condition:
        $sse_file and ($path_pattern or $error_pattern)
}

Sigma Rule

title: PeepSo Plugin Full Path Disclosure Attempt
id: 7a8b9c0d-1e2f-3a4b-5c6d-7e8f9a0b1c2d
status: experimental
description: Detects attempts to exploit CVE-2024-7426 by accessing sse.php
author: Valters IT
date: 2025-04-10
logsource:
    category: webserver
    product: apache
detection:
    selection:
        cs-method: 'GET'
        c-uri|contains: '/wp-content/plugins/peepso/sse.php'
    condition: selection
falsepositives:
    - Legitimate plugin functionality (rare)
level: medium

Suricata Rule

alert http any any -> any any (msg:"CVE-2024-7426 PeepSo Path Disclosure Attempt"; flow:to_server; content:"GET"; http_method; content:"/wp-content/plugins/peepso/sse.php"; http_uri; classtype:attempted-recon; sid:1000001; rev:1;)

Remediation & Mitigation

Immediate Actions:

1. Disable error display: Set display_errors = Off in php.ini or via .htaccess:

   php_flag display_errors off
   

2. Block direct access: Add the following to .htaccess in the PeepSo plugin directory:

   <Files "sse.php">
       Require all denied
   </Files>
   

3. Update plugin: Monitor the PeepSo vendor for a patched version. If none is available, consider disabling the plugin until a fix is released.

Long-term Recommendations:

• Implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF) with virtual patching.
• Regularly audit WordPress plugins for vulnerabilities.
• Use a security plugin like Wordfence to block malicious requests.

Valters IT
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