CVE-2021-24565 : What You Need to Know

A detailed analysis of the Contact Form 7 Captcha vulnerability before version 0.0.9, highlighting the CSRF to Stored XSS issue.

Understanding CVE-2021-24565

This CVE pertains to the Contact Form 7 Captcha WordPress plugin version prior to 0.0.9, which lacks CSRF validation, leading to a Stored Cross-Site Scripting vulnerability.

What is CVE-2021-24565?

The Contact Form 7 Captcha WordPress plugin version before 0.0.9 has a security flaw that allows attackers to exploit the settings without CSRF checks, potentially resulting in a Stored Cross-Site Scripting threat.

The Impact of CVE-2021-24565

This vulnerability enables attackers to manipulate a logged-in user's settings with 'manage_options' permissions, leveraging the lack of CSRF protection and unescaped settings to execute malicious scripts.

Technical Details of CVE-2021-24565

This section provides insights into the vulnerability, the affected systems, versions, and the exploitation mechanism.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability in Contact Form 7 Captcha version < 0.0.9 involves the absence of CSRF validation during settings saving, allowing unauthorized changes that lead to Stored Cross-Site Scripting attacks.

Affected Systems and Versions

Contact Form 7 Captcha plugin versions prior to 0.0.9 are impacted by this vulnerability, leaving websites using these versions susceptible to CSRF to Stored XSS attacks.

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by manipulating a logged-in user's settings with the 'manage_options' capability, using the lack of CSRF protection and unescaped settings to inject and execute malicious scripts.

Mitigation and Prevention

Discover the immediate measures to undertake and the long-term security strategies to mitigate the risks associated with CVE-2021-24565.

Immediate Steps to Take

It is crucial to update the Contact Form 7 Captcha plugin to version 0.0.9 or newer to address the CSRF to Stored XSS vulnerability. Additionally, monitor for any suspicious activities post-update.

Long-Term Security Practices

To enhance overall security posture, implement robust security protocols, educate users on best practices, conduct regular security audits, and deploy web application firewalls to fortify defense against such exploits.

Patching and Updates

Frequently check for plugin updates and security patches released by Contact Form 7 Captcha developers. Promptly install these updates to ensure the latest security fixes are in place, safeguarding your WordPress website against known vulnerabilities.