CVE-2024-6550 is an information exposure vulnerability categorized under CWE-200 affecting the Gravity Forms: Multiple Form Instances WordPress plugin developed by tyxla. The vulnerability exists because the plugin includes test files with PHP's display_errors directive enabled, which causes error messages to reveal the full filesystem path of the web server hosting the WordPress site. This full path disclosure can be leveraged by unauthenticated attackers without any user interaction or privileges. The disclosed path information itself does not directly compromise sensitive data or system integrity but can provide valuable reconnaissance information to attackers. Such information can help in identifying the server environment, directory structure, and potential locations of other files, which can be instrumental in mounting further attacks such as local file inclusion, remote code execution, or privilege escalation if other vulnerabilities are present. The vulnerability affects all versions up to and including 1.1.1 of the plugin. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 5.3, reflecting a medium severity due to the limited impact and lack of direct exploitation consequences. No patches or fixes have been released at the time of this report, and no active exploits have been observed in the wild. The vulnerability was publicly disclosed on July 10, 2024, and was assigned by Wordfence. Organizations using this plugin should prioritize disabling or removing test files and ensure that PHP error display is disabled in production environments to prevent such information leakage.

The primary impact of CVE-2024-6550 is the exposure of the full filesystem path of the web server hosting the vulnerable WordPress plugin. While this does not directly compromise sensitive user data or system integrity, it provides attackers with valuable reconnaissance information that can facilitate more sophisticated attacks. For example, knowing the exact directory structure can help attackers craft targeted local file inclusion or remote code execution exploits if other vulnerabilities exist. This can increase the risk of unauthorized access, data breaches, or website defacement. The vulnerability requires no authentication or user interaction, making it accessible to any remote attacker scanning for vulnerable sites. However, since the information disclosed is limited and not sensitive on its own, the overall risk is medium. Organizations running this plugin on public-facing WordPress sites may face increased risk of follow-on attacks, especially if other security weaknesses are present. The absence of known exploits in the wild reduces immediate threat but does not eliminate future risk. The vulnerability could affect a large number of websites globally due to the widespread use of WordPress and Gravity Forms plugins, potentially impacting small businesses, e-commerce sites, and content publishers.

To mitigate CVE-2024-6550, organizations should take the following specific actions: 1) Immediately audit the WordPress installation for the presence of test files or development artifacts included with the Gravity Forms: Multiple Form Instances plugin and remove them from production environments. 2) Disable PHP's display_errors directive in the production environment's php.ini configuration to prevent error messages from being displayed to unauthenticated users. 3) Monitor web server logs for any suspicious requests targeting test files or error pages that might indicate reconnaissance attempts. 4) Apply the principle of least privilege to the web server and WordPress file permissions to limit access to sensitive files and directories. 5) Keep the Gravity Forms plugin and all WordPress components updated; although no patch is currently available, monitor vendor advisories for forthcoming fixes. 6) Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to block or rate-limit requests that attempt to access test files or trigger error messages. 7) Conduct regular security assessments and vulnerability scans to detect information disclosure issues and other weaknesses. 8) Educate development and operations teams to avoid deploying test or debug files in production environments and to follow secure coding and deployment practices.