CVE-2021-4393 in eCommerce Product Catalog Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 07/01/2023
The eCommerce Product Catalog Plugin for WordPress plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Cross-Site Request Forgery in versions up to, and including, 3.0.17. This is due to missing or incorrect nonce validation on the save() function. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to save manual digital orders via a forged request granted they can trick a site administrator into performing an action such as clicking on a link.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 07/22/2023
The CVE-2021-4393 vulnerability affects the eCommerce Product Catalog Plugin for WordPress, a widely used commerce solution that enables website administrators to manage digital products and services. This particular flaw exists in plugin versions up to and including 3.0.17, representing a significant security risk for WordPress sites that rely on this functionality for their online commerce operations. The vulnerability stems from inadequate security controls within the plugin's core architecture, specifically targeting the save() function that handles digital order processing.
The technical flaw manifests as a missing or incorrect nonce validation mechanism within the plugin's save() function, which is designed to prevent unauthorized modifications to digital orders. Nonce validation serves as a cryptographic token that ensures requests originate from legitimate administrative sessions and prevents malicious actors from crafting forged requests that could manipulate the system. Without proper nonce verification, attackers can construct malicious requests that appear to come from authenticated administrators, effectively bypassing the plugin's built-in security measures.
This Cross-Site Request Forgery vulnerability creates a dangerous operational scenario where unauthenticated attackers can potentially manipulate digital orders without requiring valid credentials or administrative privileges. The attack vector relies on social engineering techniques where administrators are tricked into clicking malicious links or visiting compromised websites that trigger the forged requests. The impact extends beyond simple order manipulation to potentially affect inventory management, pricing configurations, and customer order processing within the affected WordPress installations.
The vulnerability directly maps to CWE-352, which specifically addresses Cross-Site Request Forgery issues in software applications. From an ATT&CK framework perspective, this represents a privilege escalation technique that leverages user trust and session management weaknesses to execute unauthorized actions. The attack chain typically involves initial reconnaissance to identify vulnerable WordPress installations, followed by crafting of malicious payloads that exploit the missing nonce validation, and finally execution through social engineering campaigns targeting site administrators.
Organizations affected by this vulnerability should immediately update to the latest plugin version that includes proper nonce validation mechanisms, typically version 3.0.18 or later. System administrators should also implement additional monitoring for unauthorized order modifications and conduct security audits of all installed WordPress plugins to identify similar vulnerabilities. The recommended mitigation strategy includes implementing robust input validation, maintaining updated security patches, and educating administrators about social engineering threats that could exploit this particular weakness.