CVE-2021-42047 : Vulnerability Insights and Analysis

An issue in the Growth extension in MediaWiki allows users to trigger an XSS payload via Growthexperiments-mentor-dashboard-mentee-overview-no-js-fallback.

Understanding CVE-2021-42047

This CVE involves a security flaw in MediaWiki's Growth extension that enables the execution of malicious XSS payloads.

What is CVE-2021-42047?

The CVE-2021-42047 vulnerability exists in the Growth extension of MediaWiki up to version 1.36.2. It permits users to inject and execute XSS payloads through specific features.

The Impact of CVE-2021-42047

This vulnerability allows users to login with a mentor account on Wikis with the Mentor Dashboard enabled and trigger XSS payloads, potentially leading to unauthorized data access or other malicious activities.

Technical Details of CVE-2021-42047

This section provides detailed technical insights into the CVE-2021-42047 vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The issue in the Growth extension of MediaWiki allows users to exploit XSS payloads via certain functionalities, specifically the Growthexperiments-mentor-dashboard-mentee-overview-no-js-fallback.

Affected Systems and Versions

Affected Software: MediaWiki through version 1.36.2

Exploitation Mechanism

Users can exploit this vulnerability by logging in with a mentor account on Wikis with the Mentor Dashboard feature enabled and executing XSS payloads.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protect your systems from CVE-2021-42047 with proactive security measures.

Immediate Steps to Take

Disable the Mentor Dashboard feature on MediaWiki installations to prevent potential XSS attacks.
Regularly monitor for any suspicious activities, especially user logins with unusual patterns.

Long-Term Security Practices

Conduct security training for users to raise awareness about XSS vulnerabilities and safe online practices.
Implement strict input validation mechanisms to filter out potentially malicious scripts.

Patching and Updates

Update MediaWiki to version 1.36.3 or later, as the vendor may have released patches to address this vulnerability.