CVE-2021-24687 : Vulnerability Insights and Analysis

A detailed overview of the Modern Events Calendar Lite vulnerability that allows high privilege users to execute Cross-Site Scripting attacks.

Understanding CVE-2021-24687

This CVE involves a vulnerability in the Modern Events Calendar Lite WordPress plugin before version 5.22.2, enabling Cross-Site Scripting attacks by high privilege users.

What is CVE-2021-24687?

The Modern Events Calendar Lite plugin, when below version 5.22.2, fails to properly escape certain settings before displaying them, permitting XSS attacks even with restricted unfiltered_html capability.

The Impact of CVE-2021-24687

The vulnerability allows attackers with elevated privileges to inject malicious scripts into the plugin's settings, potentially leading to unauthorized actions or data theft.

Technical Details of CVE-2021-24687

This section provides insights into the vulnerability's description, affected systems, and the exploitation mechanism

Vulnerability Description

The issue arises from the plugin's failure to sanitize user inputs, thereby enabling malicious scripts to be executed within the plugin's settings, leading to XSS attacks.

Affected Systems and Versions

The vulnerability affects installations of the Modern Events Calendar Lite plugin prior to version 5.22.2.

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by inputting malicious scripts into certain settings within the plugin, leveraging the lack of proper sanitization to execute XSS attacks.

Mitigation and Prevention

Explore the immediate steps to secure your systems and the long-term security practices you should adopt to mitigate the risks associated with CVE-2021-24687.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update the Modern Events Calendar Lite plugin to version 5.22.2 or higher to patch the vulnerability.
Restrict access to the plugin settings to authorized users only.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly update all plugins and software to ensure security patches are applied promptly.
Educate users on safe practices to prevent XSS attacks and other malicious activities.

Patching and Updates

Stay informed about security updates and patches released by the plugin vendor to address vulnerabilities promptly.