Over the weekend, a vulnerability was disclosed and patched in the popular WordPress plugin Easy WP SMTP. The plugin allows users to configure SMTP connections for outgoing email, and has a userbase of over 300,000 active installs. The vulnerability is only present in version 1.3.9 of the plugin, and all of the plugin’s users should update to 1.3.9.1 as quickly as possible to address the flaw.
This vulnerability is under active attack, being used by malicious actors to establish administrative control of affected sites en masse. We have released a firewall rule which prevents exploitation of the flaw, protecting Wordfence Premium sites which haven’t yet updated the affected plugin. Our free users will gain access to the new rule in thirty days, but they can protect themselves in the meantime by updating their plugins.
In today’s post, we’ll look at the vulnerability, how attackers are abusing it, and what users should do if they believe they’ve been put at risk.
We always suggest protection in WordPress. Wordfence is a plugin for WordPress for security and monitoring.
As this situation shows, the time between the publication of vulnerability details and the first round of attacks can be incredibly short. Even the most fastidious site owners can be caught unaware and left open to attack. A firewall backed by a team focused 100% on WordPress security is must-have insurance for these situations. If your site matters to you, consider upgrading to Wordfence Premium to guard against future vulnerabilities of this nature.
This update has been brought to you by WordFence
