CVE-2021-24780 in Single Post Exporter Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 12/13/2021
The Single Post Exporter WordPress plugin through 1.1.1 does not have CSRF checks when saving its settings, which could allow attackers to make a logged in admin change them via a CSRF attack and give access to the export feature to any role such as subscriber. Subscriber users would then be able to export an arbitrary post/page (such as private and password protected) via a direct URL
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/16/2021
The Single Post Exporter WordPress plugin version 1.1.1 contains a critical cross-site request forgery vulnerability that compromises administrative controls and exposes sensitive content. This weakness stems from the absence of proper CSRF protection mechanisms when processing plugin settings modifications, creating a pathway for authenticated attackers to manipulate administrative configurations without proper authorization. The vulnerability specifically affects the plugin's settings save functionality, where no anti-CSRF tokens or validation mechanisms are implemented to verify the legitimacy of administrative requests.
The technical flaw manifests in the plugin's failure to implement CSRF protection measures that are fundamental to web application security. According to CWE-352, this represents a classic cross-site request forgery vulnerability where an attacker can trick a logged-in administrator into executing unauthorized actions. The absence of CSRF tokens means that any malicious actor who can convince an administrator to visit a crafted malicious website or click on a malicious link can perform administrative actions on behalf of the victim. This vulnerability operates at the application level and directly impacts the WordPress plugin architecture's security model.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple configuration changes, as it fundamentally alters the plugin's access controls and exposes privileged functionality to unauthorized user roles. When an attacker successfully exploits this CSRF vulnerability, they can modify the plugin's settings to grant export capabilities to subscriber-level users, which represents a severe privilege escalation. Subscribers, who typically have minimal access rights in WordPress systems, would then gain the ability to export arbitrary posts and pages, including those marked as private or password protected. This creates a significant data exposure risk where sensitive content that should remain restricted becomes accessible to unauthorized users through direct URL access methods.
The security implications of this vulnerability align with ATT&CK technique T1078.004 which covers valid accounts and T1213.002 which addresses data from information repositories. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to move laterally within the WordPress environment and extract sensitive information that should remain protected. The ability to export private and password-protected content through direct URL access represents a comprehensive breach of content confidentiality and access controls. This vulnerability essentially undermines the core security model of WordPress where content access is controlled through user roles and permissions, allowing unauthorized access to content that was specifically designed to be restricted.
Organizations should immediately implement mitigations including updating to patched versions of the Single Post Exporter plugin, implementing proper CSRF protection mechanisms, and reviewing plugin configurations for similar vulnerabilities. Security teams should also consider implementing network-level protections such as web application firewalls and monitoring for suspicious administrative activities. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of CSRF protection in web applications and highlights the need for comprehensive security testing of third-party plugins that interact with administrative functions. Regular security audits of WordPress installations should include verification of CSRF protections in all administrative interfaces to prevent similar vulnerabilities from compromising system integrity and data confidentiality.