CVE-2021-24940 in Persian Woocommerce Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 03/14/2022
The Persian Woocommerce WordPress plugin through 5.8.0 does not escape the s parameter before outputting it back in an attribute in the admin dashboard, which could lead to a Reflected Cross-Site Scripting issue
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 03/16/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-24940 affects the Persian Woocommerce WordPress plugin version 5.8.0 and earlier, presenting a critical reflected cross-site scripting flaw that compromises administrative interfaces. This issue stems from inadequate input sanitization within the plugin's handling of the s parameter, which is commonly used for search functionality within the WordPress admin dashboard. The vulnerability specifically manifests when user-supplied input is directly incorporated into HTML attributes without proper escaping mechanisms, creating an avenue for malicious actors to inject arbitrary JavaScript code that executes in the context of authenticated administrator sessions.
The technical implementation of this flaw resides in the plugin's admin interface where the s parameter value is processed and subsequently rendered back into HTML attributes without appropriate sanitization. When an administrator navigates to pages utilizing this search functionality, the unescaped parameter value gets embedded directly into DOM attributes, enabling attackers to craft malicious URLs that, when visited by administrators, execute malicious scripts. This vulnerability operates under the CWE-79 classification as a reflected cross-site scripting weakness, where the malicious payload is reflected off the web server back to the user agent. The issue is particularly concerning because it targets the WordPress admin dashboard, which typically contains users with elevated privileges and access to sensitive system configurations.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple script execution, as it provides attackers with potential access to administrative functions and sensitive data within the WordPress environment. An attacker could leverage this vulnerability to perform actions such as modifying product information, altering customer data, accessing confidential reports, or even installing malicious plugins that could persist beyond the initial attack vector. The reflected nature of the vulnerability means that attackers need only convince an administrator to click a malicious link containing the crafted payload, making this attack vector particularly dangerous in environments where administrators frequently click on links from email communications or web browsing activities. This vulnerability directly aligns with ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for initial access through spearphishing attachments and T1078.004 for valid accounts usage, as it exploits legitimate administrative access paths.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2021-24940 should prioritize immediate plugin updates to versions that address the escaping vulnerability, as the vendor has likely released patches to properly sanitize the s parameter before outputting it in HTML attributes. Organizations should also implement network-level protections such as web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious payloads targeting reflected XSS vulnerabilities, while maintaining comprehensive monitoring of administrative dashboard access logs for suspicious activity patterns. Additionally, administrators should enforce strict input validation procedures and consider implementing content security policies that limit the execution of inline scripts within the admin interface. Security teams should conduct thorough vulnerability assessments to identify other plugins or themes that might exhibit similar escaping deficiencies, as this represents a common class of vulnerability in WordPress ecosystems that requires consistent sanitization practices across all user-input handling components.