CVE-2021-24595 in Wp Cookie Choice Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 10/18/2021
The Wp Cookie Choice WordPress plugin through 1.1.0 is lacking any CSRF check when saving its options, and do not escape them when outputting them in attributes. As a result, an attacker could make a logged in admin change them to arbitrary values including XSS payloads via a CSRF attack.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/22/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-24595 affects the Wp Cookie Choice WordPress plugin version 1.1.0 and earlier, representing a critical security flaw that combines multiple dangerous conditions. This plugin, designed to manage cookie consent notices for WordPress websites, contains a fundamental lack of cross-site request forgery protection mechanisms. The absence of CSRF checks during the saving of plugin options creates an exploitable condition where authenticated administrators can be tricked into executing unintended actions without their knowledge or consent.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability stems from the plugin's failure to implement proper CSRF token validation when processing configuration changes. When administrators access the plugin settings page and attempt to save modifications, the system does not verify that the request originates from a legitimate source within the authenticated session. This omission allows attackers to craft malicious requests that appear to come from the legitimate admin user interface. The vulnerability extends beyond simple configuration changes because the plugin also fails to properly escape output values when rendering them in HTML attributes, creating an additional vector for cross-site scripting attacks.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe as it enables attackers to escalate privileges and execute malicious code within the context of an authenticated administrator's session. An attacker could leverage this weakness to inject XSS payloads that would execute in the admin interface, potentially allowing for complete compromise of the WordPress installation. The combination of CSRF and XSS vulnerabilities creates a particularly dangerous attack surface where an attacker could not only modify plugin settings but also establish persistent malicious code execution within the administrator's browser session. This scenario could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data, complete website defacement, or the establishment of backdoors for continued access.
Security professionals should consider this vulnerability in relation to CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery, and CWE-79, which covers Cross-Site Scripting. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this as a privilege escalation technique under T1078, where adversaries gain access to systems through legitimate credentials. Additionally, this vulnerability aligns with T1546, which describes the use of malicious code to gain persistence. Organizations should immediately update to the patched version of the plugin, implement proper CSRF token validation mechanisms, and ensure all user input is properly escaped before output. Network monitoring should be enhanced to detect suspicious administrative activity, and regular security audits should verify that all WordPress plugins implement proper security controls including CSRF protection and output sanitization. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of validating all user-supplied data and implementing defense-in-depth security measures to prevent exploitation of authenticated attack vectors.