CVE-2021-25060 : What You Need to Know

A critical vulnerability has been identified in the Five Star Business Profile and Schema WordPress plugin before version 2.1.7. The vulnerability allows authenticated users, such as subscribers, to perform unauthorized actions and leads to Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) issues.

Understanding CVE-2021-25060

This section will delve into the details of the CVE-2021-25060 vulnerability in the Five Star Business Profile and Schema WordPress plugin.

What is CVE-2021-25060?

The CVE-2021-25060 vulnerability exists in the plugin's bpfwp_welcome_add_contact_page and bpfwp_welcome_set_contact_information AJAX actions, which lack proper authorization and Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) protection, enabling authenticated users to exploit them. Additionally, the absence of input sanitization leads to Stored XSS problems.

The Impact of CVE-2021-25060

The impact of this vulnerability is substantial as it allows authenticated users, even subscribers, to perform actions that they are not supposed to, potentially leading to unauthorized modifications and Stored XSS attacks.

Technical Details of CVE-2021-25060

In this section, we will explore the technical aspects of the CVE-2021-25060 vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability arises from the lack of proper authorization and CSRF protection in specific AJAX actions of the Five Star Business Profile and Schema WordPress plugin, enabling unauthorized actions such as Stored Cross-Site Scripting.

Affected Systems and Versions

The affected version of the Five Star Business Profile and Schema plugin is any version prior to 2.1.7.

Exploitation Mechanism

Authenticated users, particularly subscribers, can exploit the vulnerable AJAX actions due to the absence of proper authorization and input sanitization, leading to Stored XSS attacks.

Mitigation and Prevention

Understanding the necessary steps to mitigate and prevent the CVE-2021-25060 vulnerability is crucial.

Immediate Steps to Take

Website administrators should immediately update the Five Star Business Profile and Schema plugin to version 2.1.7 or higher to address this critical security issue. It is also recommended to review user permissions to prevent unauthorized access.

Long-Term Security Practices

To enhance long-term security, it is advisable to regularly update plugins and themes, implement web application firewalls, conduct security audits, and educate users about safe practices.

Patching and Updates

Developers should prioritize implementing proper authorization mechanisms, input sanitization, and CSRF protection in plugin code to prevent similar vulnerabilities in the future.