CVE-2021-24389 in WP Foodbakery Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 07/06/2021
The WP Foodbakery WordPress plugin before 2.2, used in the FoodBakery WordPress theme before 2.2 did not properly sanitize the foodbakery_radius parameter before outputting it back in the response, leading to an unauthenticated Reflected Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/10/2021
The CVE-2021-24389 vulnerability represents a critical security flaw in the WP Foodbakery WordPress plugin and its associated FoodBakery theme, affecting versions prior to 2.2. This vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and output sanitization practices within the plugin's handling of user-supplied parameters. The specific parameter affected is the foodbakery_radius parameter, which is processed in a manner that fails to properly sanitize user input before incorporating it into the HTTP response. This oversight creates a pathway for attackers to inject malicious scripts that can execute in the context of a victim's browser, compromising the security of unsuspecting users who interact with the vulnerable website.
The technical nature of this vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which describes Cross-Site Scripting flaws where untrusted data is incorporated into web pages without proper validation or sanitization. The vulnerability operates as a reflected XSS attack because the malicious payload is reflected back to the user through the web application's response rather than being stored on the server. Attackers can craft malicious URLs containing script tags or other malicious code within the foodbakery_radius parameter, which when clicked by a victim, executes the injected code in the victim's browser context. This attack vector does not require authentication, making it particularly dangerous as any user can exploit this vulnerability without needing valid credentials or privileged access to the WordPress installation.
The operational impact of CVE-2021-24389 extends beyond simple script execution, as reflected XSS vulnerabilities can be leveraged for various malicious activities including session hijacking, credential theft, defacement of web content, and redirection to malicious websites. Attackers can use this vulnerability to steal cookies, session tokens, or other sensitive information from authenticated users who visit the compromised page. The reflected nature of the vulnerability means that successful exploitation requires social engineering to trick users into clicking malicious links, but once clicked, the attack can be highly effective in compromising user sessions and potentially gaining unauthorized access to WordPress administrative functions. The vulnerability affects websites using the FoodBakery theme and plugin combination, which are popular among food-related businesses and restaurant websites, making them attractive targets for cybercriminals seeking to exploit user trust and access sensitive information.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately update to WP Foodbakery plugin version 2.2 or later, which includes proper input sanitization and output escaping mechanisms to prevent XSS injection. System administrators should also implement additional security measures such as input validation at the web application firewall level, regular security audits of WordPress plugins and themes, and monitoring for suspicious traffic patterns that might indicate exploitation attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of proper input validation and output sanitization practices in web application development, as outlined in the OWASP Top Ten and various security standards that emphasize the need for comprehensive protection against XSS attacks. Security teams should also consider implementing Content Security Policy headers and other defensive measures to limit the potential impact of successful XSS exploitation attempts, as this vulnerability can be leveraged in conjunction with other attack vectors to create more sophisticated threats against affected web applications.