CVE-2021-24387 in WP Pro Real Estate 7 Theme
Summary
by MITRE • 07/06/2021
The WP Pro Real Estate 7 WordPress theme before 3.1.1 did not properly sanitise the ct_community parameter in its search listing page before outputting it back in it, leading to a reflected Cross-Site Scripting which can be triggered in both unauthenticated or authenticated user context
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/09/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-24387 affects the WP Pro Real Estate 7 WordPress theme version 3.1.0 and earlier, representing a critical security flaw that undermines the application's input validation mechanisms. This vulnerability exists within the theme's search listing page functionality where the ct_community parameter fails to undergo proper sanitization before being rendered back to users. The issue manifests as a reflected cross-site scripting vulnerability that can be exploited across both authenticated and unauthenticated user contexts, significantly broadening its attack surface and potential impact.
The technical flaw stems from insufficient input sanitization practices within the theme's codebase, specifically in how it handles the ct_community parameter during search operations. When this parameter is processed and subsequently reflected back to the user interface without adequate sanitization, malicious actors can inject arbitrary JavaScript code that executes within the victim's browser context. This vulnerability directly maps to CWE-79 which defines Cross-Site Scripting flaws as weaknesses that occur when an application includes untrusted data in a new web page without proper validation or escaping, or when it reuses a buffer without resetting its contents. The reflected nature of this vulnerability means that the malicious script is not stored on the server but is instead reflected off the web server in response to a crafted request, making it particularly dangerous for web applications.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution as it enables attackers to perform a wide range of malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, and redirection to malicious websites. Attackers can craft specially designed URLs containing malicious JavaScript payloads that, when clicked by unsuspecting users, execute within their browser sessions. This vulnerability affects both logged-in administrators and regular website visitors, making it particularly concerning for WordPress installations where user roles and permissions are not properly segregated in the input validation layer. The vulnerability's presence in a widely used real estate theme increases the potential attack surface significantly, as many WordPress sites rely on third-party themes that may contain such security flaws.
The exploitation of this vulnerability aligns with tactics described in the MITRE ATT&CK framework under the T1059.007 technique for Command and Scripting Interpreter, specifically JavaScript execution, and T1566 for Phishing, as attackers can craft convincing phishing URLs to deliver malicious payloads. Organizations should implement immediate mitigations including updating to WP Pro Real Estate 7 version 3.1.1 or later, which contains the necessary input sanitization fixes. Additionally, implementing proper Content Security Policies and input validation at multiple layers of the application can provide defense-in-depth measures. Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments should be conducted to identify similar issues in other theme and plugin components, as this vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input sanitization across all user-controllable parameters in web applications. The fix implemented in version 3.1.1 likely includes proper HTML escaping of the ct_community parameter and comprehensive input validation to prevent malicious script injection attempts.