CVE-2022-47599 is a vulnerability classified under CWE-502, which involves the deserialization of untrusted data in the File Manager plugin developed by Bit Form Team for WordPress. This plugin is a free and open-source file management tool integrated into WordPress sites to facilitate file handling operations. The vulnerability affects versions up to and including 5.2.7. Deserialization vulnerabilities occur when untrusted input is deserialized by an application, potentially allowing an attacker to manipulate the deserialization process to execute arbitrary code, cause denial of service, or corrupt data. In this case, the vulnerability requires network access (AV:N), but has a high attack complexity (AC:H), meaning exploitation is not trivial and likely requires specific conditions or knowledge. It also requires privileges (PR:H) on the system, indicating that an attacker must have high-level permissions within the WordPress environment or hosting system to exploit it. No user interaction (UI:N) is needed once the attacker has the required privileges. The scope is changed (S:C), which means the vulnerability affects resources beyond the vulnerable component, potentially impacting the entire WordPress installation or hosting environment. The impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability is low to medium (C:L/I:L/A:L), suggesting limited but non-negligible damage potential. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches are linked in the provided data, indicating that mitigation may require manual updates or configuration changes. The vulnerability was published on December 20, 2023, and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.5, categorized as medium severity.

For European organizations using WordPress sites with the affected File Manager plugin, this vulnerability poses a moderate risk. If exploited, an attacker with high privileges could manipulate file operations through deserialization attacks, potentially leading to unauthorized data access, data corruption, or service disruption. Given that WordPress is widely used across Europe for business, governmental, and personal websites, the vulnerability could impact the confidentiality and integrity of sensitive information managed via these sites. The requirement for high privileges limits the risk from external attackers without prior access but raises concerns about insider threats or attackers who have already compromised lower-level accounts. The changed scope impact means that exploitation could affect the broader WordPress environment, possibly leading to wider service outages or data integrity issues. Although no active exploits are known, the presence of this vulnerability in a popular plugin necessitates proactive mitigation to prevent potential future attacks. The impact is particularly relevant for organizations handling regulated data under GDPR, where data breaches or service interruptions could lead to legal and financial consequences.

1. Immediate review and update: Organizations should verify the version of the File Manager plugin in use and upgrade to a patched version once available. In the absence of an official patch, consider disabling or removing the plugin temporarily to eliminate exposure. 2. Privilege management: Restrict administrative and high-level privileges within WordPress to trusted personnel only, minimizing the risk of privilege escalation or insider exploitation. 3. Input validation and sanitization: Although this is a plugin-level issue, organizations can implement web application firewalls (WAFs) with rules designed to detect and block suspicious deserialization payloads or anomalous file management requests. 4. Monitoring and logging: Enable detailed logging of file management activities and monitor for unusual behavior that could indicate exploitation attempts. 5. Segmentation and isolation: Host WordPress instances in isolated environments with strict access controls to limit the impact of any compromise. 6. Backup and recovery: Maintain regular backups of WordPress sites and data to enable rapid recovery in case of data corruption or loss caused by exploitation. 7. Security awareness: Educate administrators about the risks of deserialization vulnerabilities and the importance of applying updates promptly.