CVE-2019-20891 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

WooCommerce prior to version 3.6.5 was vulnerable to a CSRF issue during CSV imports, potentially leading to stored XSS attacks.

Understanding CVE-2019-20891

This CVE identifies a security vulnerability in WooCommerce versions before 3.6.5 that could be exploited for cross-site request forgery (CSRF) attacks.

What is CVE-2019-20891?

Prior to WooCommerce version 3.6.5, a vulnerability existed in the system during CSV imports for products, allowing for CSRF attacks that could lead to stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities.

The Impact of CVE-2019-20891

The vulnerability in WooCommerce could be exploited by malicious actors to perform CSRF attacks, potentially resulting in stored XSS attacks, compromising the security of the system.

Technical Details of CVE-2019-20891

This section provides detailed technical information about the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability was specifically identified in the file "class-wc-product-csv-importer-controller.php" within the "admin/importers" directory of WooCommerce versions prior to 3.6.5.

Affected Systems and Versions

Affected Product: WooCommerce
Vulnerable Versions: Before 3.6.5

Exploitation Mechanism

The vulnerability allowed attackers to exploit the CSV import functionality to execute CSRF attacks, potentially leading to stored XSS vulnerabilities.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protecting systems from CVE-2019-20891 requires immediate actions and long-term security practices.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update WooCommerce to version 3.6.5 or later to mitigate the vulnerability.
Regularly monitor and audit CSV imports for any suspicious activities.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implement input validation and output encoding to prevent XSS attacks.
Educate users on safe CSV import practices to avoid CSRF vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Apply security patches promptly to address known vulnerabilities and enhance system security.