CVE-2021-4072 : Vulnerability Insights and Analysis

A detailed overview of CVE-2021-4072, a vulnerability related to Cross-site Scripting (XSS) affecting elgg/elgg.

Understanding CVE-2021-4072

This section delves into the specifics of CVE-2021-4072, highlighting the vulnerability, its impact, and technical details.

What is CVE-2021-4072?

CVE-2021-4072 refers to a Cross-site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability found in elgg/elgg due to improper neutralization of input during web page generation.

The Impact of CVE-2021-4072

CVE-2021-4072 has a base severity rating of CRITICAL with high impacts on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Attackers can exploit this vulnerability to execute malicious scripts on the victim's browser.

Technical Details of CVE-2021-4072

This section covers the vulnerability description, affected systems and versions, as well as the exploitation mechanism.

Vulnerability Description

elgg/elgg is susceptible to XSS attacks due to improper input neutralization during web page generation, allowing threat actors to inject malicious scripts.

Affected Systems and Versions

Versions of elgg/elgg up to 3.3.24 are impacted by this vulnerability, where the attack vector is through a network with low attack complexity.

Exploitation Mechanism

To exploit CVE-2021-4072, attackers can input crafted scripts that get executed on victim browsers, leading to potential data theft or unauthorized actions.

Mitigation and Prevention

In this section, we discuss immediate steps to take, long-term security practices, and the importance of patching and updates.

Immediate Steps to Take

Users should update elgg/elgg to version 3.3.24 or above, sanitize user input, and implement Content Security Policy (CSP) to mitigate XSS risks.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regular security audits, secure coding practices, and user awareness training can help prevent XSS vulnerabilities in web applications.

Patching and Updates

Vendor patches are crucial for addressing known vulnerabilities. Timely application of security updates can protect systems from potential exploits.