CVE-2021-24634 in Recipe Card Blocks Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 09/28/2021
The Recipe Card Blocks by WPZOOM WordPress plugin before 2.8.3 does not properly sanitise or escape some of the properties of the Recipe Card Block (such as ingredientsLayout, iconSet, steps, ingredients, recipeTitle, or settings), which could allow users with a role as low as contributor to perform Stored Cross-Site Scripting attacks.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/03/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-24634 affects the Recipe Card Blocks plugin for WordPress, specifically versions prior to 2.8.3. This issue represents a critical security flaw that undermines the integrity of content management within WordPress environments. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input sanitization and output escaping mechanisms within the plugin's recipe card block implementation, creating a pathway for malicious actors to inject persistent malicious scripts into the WordPress system.
The technical flaw manifests in the plugin's handling of several key properties within the Recipe Card Block structure including ingredientsLayout, iconSet, steps, ingredients, recipeTitle, and settings. These properties are processed without proper sanitization measures, allowing attackers to inject malicious JavaScript code that gets stored within the WordPress database. The vulnerability is particularly concerning because it requires only contributor-level user privileges to exploit, making it accessible to users who typically have limited capabilities within the WordPress ecosystem. This low privilege requirement significantly amplifies the potential impact of the vulnerability.
From an operational perspective, this stored cross-site scripting vulnerability creates a persistent threat vector that can affect all users interacting with the compromised WordPress site. When authenticated users view pages containing the maliciously injected content, the stored scripts execute in their browsers, potentially leading to session hijacking, data theft, or further exploitation of the victim's privileges. The attack can be particularly insidious because the malicious code remains persistent even after the initial injection, continuously affecting visitors until the vulnerability is patched and the malicious content is removed from the database.
The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79 which defines Cross-Site Scripting as a common weakness in web applications where user-supplied data is not properly validated or escaped before being rendered in web pages. Additionally, this issue maps to ATT&CK technique T1566.001 which covers spearphishing attachments and T1059.001 for command and scripting interpreter, as the stored XSS could be used to deliver malicious payloads or establish command execution capabilities. The impact extends beyond immediate script execution, as the vulnerability could serve as a stepping stone for more sophisticated attacks including privilege escalation or lateral movement within compromised networks.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigation strategies including updating to the patched version 2.8.3 or later of the Recipe Card Blocks plugin, implementing proper input validation and output escaping mechanisms, and conducting thorough security audits of all installed WordPress plugins. Additionally, administrators should consider implementing content security policies and monitoring for suspicious content injection patterns to detect and prevent exploitation attempts. Regular security assessments and patch management procedures should be strengthened to prevent similar vulnerabilities from being introduced through third-party plugins in WordPress environments.