CVE-2021-44857 : Vulnerability Insights and Analysis

An issue was discovered in MediaWiki before 1.35.5, 1.36.x before 1.36.3, and 1.37.x before 1.37.1. Users could use certain actions to replace the content of arbitrary pages, posing a security risk.

Understanding CVE-2021-44857

This CVE relates to a vulnerability that allowed users to manipulate content on MediaWiki pages.

What is CVE-2021-44857?

CVE-2021-44857 is a security issue found in MediaWiki versions prior to 1.35.5, 1.36.3, and 1.37.1. It permits unauthorized users to alter the content of any page.

The Impact of CVE-2021-44857

The vulnerability could lead to unauthorized content modification on any public or private MediaWiki with potential read whitelists set.

Technical Details of CVE-2021-44857

This section delves into the technical aspects of the CVE.

Vulnerability Description

The flaw permits users to use certain actions to replace the content of arbitrary pages, bypassing edit rights restrictions.

Affected Systems and Versions

Vendor: n/a
Product: n/a
Versions: All versions before 1.35.5, 1.36.3, and 1.37.1 are impacted.

Exploitation Mechanism

Users could exploit this vulnerability by leveraging specific actions like 'action=mcrundo' followed by 'action=mcrrestore'.

Mitigation and Prevention

Protect your systems from the CVE with these strategies.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update MediaWiki to version 1.35.5, 1.36.3, or 1.37.1 to mitigate the vulnerability.
Review and adjust page edit rights to limit unauthorized content modifications.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly monitor and audit changes made to critical pages.
Implement least privilege access controls to restrict user capabilities.

Patching and Updates

Apply the necessary security patches provided by MediaWiki to address this vulnerability.