On September 6th, 2022, iThemes, the creator of the BackupBuddy WordPress plugin, announced a security vulnerability found to be exploited since August 27th, 2022. This vulnerability only impacts sites running BackupBuddy versions 8.5.8.0 through 8.7.4.1.
There are indications that this vulnerability is still being actively exploited. However, ithemes readily patched the vulnerability and has requested its users to ensure they are using the 8.7.5 or higher version of the BackBuddy plugin.
What Should I Do?
Update immediately to the latest 8.7.5 patched version.
The breach allowed malicious users to view the contents of any file on a server that a WordPress installation can read.
Examples are the WordPress wp-config.php file and, depending on the server setup, other sensitive files like /etc/passwd. Therefore, it is imperative to upgrade immediately to the latest safe version.
How to Tell if I Am Affected
You can diagnose if your site has been compromised by finding any text containing local-destination-id and wp-config.php with an HTTP 2xx Response in your server logs.
The security breach was identified on BackBuddy versions 8.5.8.0 to 8.7.4.1.
Additional Information
If you need additional information or help directly from ithemes, please open a ticket through the iThemes Help Desk.
Sarim Javaid
Sarim Javaid is a Sr. Content Marketing Manager at Cloudways, where his role involves shaping compelling narratives and strategic content. Skilled at crafting cohesive stories from a flurry of ideas, Sarim's writing is driven by curiosity and a deep fascination with Google's evolving algorithms. Beyond the professional sphere, he's a music and art admirer and an overly-excited person.
