CVE-2021-24313 : Security Advisory and Response
Learn about CVE-2021-24313, an Authenticated Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in WP Prayer WordPress plugin before 1.6.2. Understand the impact, technical details, and mitigation steps.
A detailed overview of the Authenticated Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in the WP Prayer WordPress plugin before version 1.6.2.
Understanding CVE-2021-24313
This section will cover what CVE-2021-24313 entails, its impact, technical details, and mitigation strategies.
What is CVE-2021-24313?
The WP Prayer WordPress plugin before version 1.6.2 allows authenticated users to input malicious XSS payloads via the 'prayer request' and 'praise request' fields, potentially leading to Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) attacks.
The Impact of CVE-2021-24313
This vulnerability enables attackers to execute arbitrary scripts in the context of a victim's browser, posing a serious threat to website security, data confidentiality, and user privacy.
Technical Details of CVE-2021-24313
Exploring the specifics of the vulnerability to understand its nature and potential risks.
Vulnerability Description
The issue arises from a lack of input validation in the prayer request form, allowing attackers to inject malicious scripts that get stored and later executed within the website.
Affected Systems and Versions
WP Prayer versions prior to 1.6.2 are vulnerable to this exploit, placing websites utilizing these versions at risk of XSS attacks.
Exploitation Mechanism
By leveraging this vulnerability, threat actors can craft XSS payloads that, once stored as prayer or praise requests, can be executed when viewed by other users, leading to script execution in their browsers.
Mitigation and Prevention
Guidelines on how to address and mitigate the risks posed by CVE-2021-24313.
Immediate Steps to Take
Website administrators should promptly update WP Prayer to version 1.6.2 or newer to patch the XSS vulnerability and sanitize existing prayer/praise requests to remove any malicious code.
Long-Term Security Practices
Implement strict input validation and output sanitization practices across all user-generated content to prevent similar XSS vulnerabilities in the future.
Patching and Updates
Regularly monitor security advisories, apply patches promptly, and keep all plugins and themes updated to maintain a secure WordPress environment.