CVE-2021-4222 : Vulnerability Insights and Analysis

WordPress plugin WP-Paginate before version 2.1.4 is affected by a Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability that allows high privilege users to execute XSS attacks. Here is a detailed overview of this CVE.

Understanding CVE-2021-4222

This section provides insights into the vulnerability, its impact, technical details, and mitigation strategies.

What is CVE-2021-4222?

The WP-Paginate WordPress plugin before 2.1.4 fails to sanitize preset settings, enabling admin users to conduct XSS attacks even if unfiltered_html is disabled.

The Impact of CVE-2021-4222

The vulnerability in WP-Paginate version < 2.1.4 allows attackers to execute malicious scripts in the context of privileged users, potentially leading to unauthorized actions or data theft.

Technical Details of CVE-2021-4222

Let's delve into the specifics of this vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The issue arises from the plugin's failure to properly sanitize and escape user-provided data, leading to XSS exploitation possibilities for admin users.

Affected Systems and Versions

WP-Paginate versions prior to 2.1.4 are impacted by this XSS vulnerability, affecting WordPress installations using vulnerable plugin versions.

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to inject and execute malicious scripts within the admin context, exploiting the lack of input sanitization.

Mitigation and Prevention

Discover the steps to secure your WordPress site against CVE-2021-4222.

Immediate Steps to Take

As an immediate measure, users should update WP-Paginate to version 2.1.4 to mitigate the risk of XSS attacks.

Long-Term Security Practices

Employ robust security practices such as user input validation and output encoding to prevent XSS vulnerabilities in WordPress plugins.

Patching and Updates

Regularly monitor for security patches and update WordPress plugins to stay protected against known vulnerabilities.