Secure Vulnerable WordPress Files and Directories

Recently Jason A. Donenfeld reported a simple vulnerability in W3 Total Cache on the Full Disclosure mailing list, which was picked up by the Security Ledger website, and then posted on Slashdot. The vulnerability is a simple Apache Httpd configuration oversight — plugins often create their own folders under ./wordpress/wp-content/ without considering that directory indexing might be turned on, or that files within that folder are located under a DocumentRoot, and thus available to anyone. Some configuration files are also vulnerable in this way — the wp-config.php file, for example. During the WordPress install, it is recommended that the wp-config.php be re-located one folder above ./wordpress/, to move it out of the DocumentRoot.

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