CVE-2021-25057 in Translation Exchange Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 02/21/2022
The Translation Exchange WordPress plugin through 1.0.14 was vulnerable to Authenticated Stored Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) within the Project Key text field found in the plugin's settings.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 02/25/2022
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-25057 affects the Translation Exchange WordPress plugin version 1.0.14 and earlier, representing a critical authenticated stored cross-site scripting flaw that undermines the security of WordPress installations. This vulnerability specifically targets the Project Key text field within the plugin's settings interface, creating a persistent threat vector that can be exploited by authenticated users with sufficient privileges to modify plugin settings.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and output escaping mechanisms within the plugin's codebase. When administrators or authorized users enter data into the Project Key field, the plugin fails to properly sanitize or escape the input before storing it in the database and subsequently rendering it on the settings page. This omission creates a classic stored XSS condition where malicious scripts can be permanently embedded within the plugin's configuration and executed whenever the affected page is loaded by any user with appropriate permissions.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability poses significant risks to WordPress environments as it allows attackers who have gained access to administrative or editor accounts to inject malicious JavaScript code that can persist across user sessions. The stored nature of the vulnerability means that the malicious payload remains active even after the initial injection, continuously affecting any user who views the plugin settings page. This could enable attackers to steal session cookies, perform unauthorized actions on behalf of users, redirect victims to malicious sites, or even escalate privileges within the WordPress environment.
The impact extends beyond simple data theft or redirection attacks, as this vulnerability can facilitate more sophisticated compromise techniques. Attackers might leverage the stored XSS to establish persistent backdoors, harvest sensitive configuration data, or manipulate the plugin's functionality to create additional attack vectors. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-79, which specifically addresses cross-site scripting flaws, and could potentially map to ATT&CK technique T1566.001 for initial access through credential compromise or T1059.001 for execution through malicious script injection.
Mitigation strategies should prioritize immediate plugin updates to versions that address the XSS vulnerability, as vendors typically release patches that implement proper input sanitization and output escaping. Additionally, administrators should implement network-level protections such as web application firewalls that can detect and block malicious script injection attempts. Security monitoring should include regular checks for unauthorized modifications to plugin settings, particularly in the Project Key field. User privilege management remains critical, as limiting access to plugin settings to only essential administrators reduces the attack surface. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of input validation and output escaping practices in web application development, emphasizing that even seemingly benign configuration fields can become attack vectors when proper security controls are absent.