CVE-2021-36033 in Magento Commerce
Summary
by MITRE • 09/01/2021
Magento Commerce versions 2.4.2 (and earlier), 2.4.2-p1 (and earlier) and 2.3.7 (and earlier) are affected by an XML Injection vulnerability in the Widgets Module. An attacker with admin privileges can trigger a specially crafted script to achieve remote code execution.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 09/04/2021
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2021-36033 represents a critical XML injection flaw within the Magento Commerce platform's Widgets Module that affects multiple versions including 2.4.2 and earlier, 2.4.2-p1 and earlier, and 2.3.7 and earlier. This vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization within the XML processing mechanisms of the administrative interface, creating a pathway for malicious actors to exploit the system through carefully crafted payloads that manipulate XML data structures. The flaw exists in the way the platform handles widget configurations and XML parsing operations, particularly when processing user-supplied data through administrative interfaces that allow for widget creation and modification.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability requires an attacker to possess administrative privileges within the Magento system, which significantly reduces the attack surface but does not eliminate the risk entirely since privilege escalation attacks or compromised administrative credentials could still lead to exploitation. When an attacker with admin access submits a specially crafted XML payload through the widget module, the system fails to properly validate or sanitize the input before processing it, allowing the malicious XML structure to be interpreted by the underlying XML parser. This XML injection can then be leveraged to execute arbitrary code on the server, effectively providing attackers with complete control over the affected Magento installation. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-91 and CWE-94 categories, representing XML injection and code injection respectively, and can be mapped to ATT&CK techniques such as T1059.007 for command and scripting interpreter and T1078 for valid accounts.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe and far-reaching, as successful exploitation can result in complete system compromise, data theft, unauthorized access to customer information, and potential lateral movement within network infrastructure. Organizations running affected Magento versions face significant risk of data breaches, financial loss, and reputational damage when this vulnerability is exploited. The remote code execution capability means attackers can install backdoors, modify system configurations, exfiltrate sensitive data, and potentially use the compromised system as a launch point for further attacks against other systems within the network perimeter. The vulnerability particularly affects e-commerce platforms that rely heavily on Magento for their online operations, making it attractive to cybercriminals targeting retail and commercial organizations.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2021-36033 should prioritize immediate patching of affected Magento installations to the latest supported versions that contain security fixes for this vulnerability. Organizations should also implement network segmentation and access controls to limit administrative privileges, ensuring that only authorized personnel have access to administrative interfaces. Additional defensive measures include implementing web application firewalls, monitoring for suspicious XML content in system logs, and conducting regular security assessments of administrative interfaces. Security teams should also consider implementing privileged access management solutions and regularly review administrative access logs to detect potential unauthorized access attempts. The vulnerability demonstrates the importance of proper input validation and the principle of least privilege in web application security, aligning with security best practices outlined in OWASP Top Ten and NIST cybersecurity frameworks. Organizations should also establish incident response procedures specifically addressing remote code execution vulnerabilities and ensure regular security training for administrators to recognize potential exploitation attempts.