CVE-2021-24725 in Comment Link Remove and Other Comment Tools Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 09/14/2021
The Comment Link Remove and Other Comment Tools WordPress plugin before 2.1.6 does not have CSRF check in its 'Delete comments easily', which could allow attackers to make logged in admin delete arbitrary comments
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/16/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-24725 affects the Comment Link Remove and Other Comment Tools WordPress plugin version 2.1.5 and earlier, presenting a significant security risk through the absence of Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) protection mechanisms. This flaw specifically impacts the plugin's "Delete comments easily" functionality, creating an exploitable condition that enables authenticated attackers to perform unauthorized comment deletion actions within the WordPress administrative interface. The vulnerability stems from the plugin's failure to implement proper CSRF token validation, which is a fundamental security control required for protecting against unauthorized actions performed on behalf of authenticated users.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability involves the plugin's lack of CSRF protection in its comment deletion endpoint, allowing malicious actors to craft specially crafted requests that can trigger comment deletion without proper authorization. When an administrator visits a malicious website or clicks on a compromised link, the attacker can leverage the authenticated session to execute comment deletion commands against the target WordPress site. This represents a classic CSRF attack vector where the attacker exploits the trust relationship between the browser and the WordPress admin interface, bypassing the normal authentication and authorization checks that should prevent unauthorized actions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple comment deletion, as it provides attackers with a foothold for more extensive malicious activities within the WordPress environment. An attacker could potentially use this vulnerability to remove critical comments, including those containing important information, user feedback, or security-related discussions. The vulnerability also demonstrates poor security hygiene in plugin development practices, as CSRF protection is considered a fundamental security control and is explicitly addressed in various security standards and frameworks. This flaw can be categorized under CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery vulnerabilities, and aligns with ATT&CK technique T1213.002 for Credential Access through manipulation of web applications.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately update to version 2.1.6 or later of the Comment Link Remove and Other Comment Tools plugin to remediate the CSRF protection gap. The recommended mitigation strategy involves implementing proper CSRF token validation mechanisms that generate unique tokens for each user session and validate these tokens against the corresponding requests before executing any destructive operations. Additionally, administrators should conduct comprehensive security assessments of all installed WordPress plugins to identify similar vulnerabilities and ensure that all user actions requiring administrative privileges are properly authenticated and authorized. Security teams should also implement monitoring for unusual comment deletion patterns and maintain up-to-date plugin inventories to prevent similar vulnerabilities from persisting across the organization's digital infrastructure.