CVE-2021-34630 : What You Need to Know

GTranslate Pro and GTranslate Enterprise versions prior to 2.8.65 are affected by a Reflected Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability that allows attackers to execute malicious scripts on the victim's browser. This CVE-2021-34630 issue was made public on July 23, 2021, posing a medium level of severity with a CVSS base score of 5.

Understanding CVE-2021-34630

This section will cover what CVE-2021-34630 entails, its impact, technical details, and mitigation techniques.

What is CVE-2021-34630?

The vulnerability in GTranslate Pro and GTranslate Enterprise versions lower than 2.8.65 allows attackers to inject and execute malicious scripts, taking advantage of improper validation mechanisms in the plugin.

The Impact of CVE-2021-34630

The impact is considered medium, with a CVSS base score of 5 due to the possibility of executing arbitrary scripts when using the affected versions of the plugins.

Technical Details of CVE-2021-34630

In this section, we will delve into the specifics of the vulnerability, the affected systems, versions, and how the exploitation works.

Vulnerability Description

The vulnerability arises from the 'gtranslate_request_uri_var' function, which outputs the content of $_SERVER['REQUEST_URI'] without adequate sanitization, leading to XSS attacks.

Affected Systems and Versions

GTranslate Pro and GTranslate Enterprise versions prior to 2.8.65 are impacted, making users of these specific versions susceptible to XSS attacks.

Exploitation Mechanism

The exploit can be triggered in scenarios where older browsers like Internet Explorer 9 or below are used, or when an attacker manipulates the request between the client and server.

Mitigation and Prevention

This section details the immediate steps to address the vulnerability and safeguard systems in the long term.

Immediate Steps to Take

Users should update the affected plugins to version 2.8.65 or higher to mitigate the XSS vulnerability immediately.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implement robust input validation mechanisms, stay updated on security patches, and educate users to prevent similar XSS attacks in the future.

Patching and Updates

Regularly check for plugin updates and security advisories to ensure the latest patches are applied promptly to prevent exploitation.