CVE-2021-4415 in Sunshine Photo Cart Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 07/12/2023
The Sunshine Photo Cart plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Cross-Site Request Forgery in versions up to, and including, 2.8.28 This is due to missing or incorrect nonce validation on the sunshine_products_quicksave_post() function. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to save custom post data 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 • 04/10/2026
The Sunshine Photo Cart plugin for WordPress represents a widely used e-commerce solution that enables users to create and manage photo galleries and shopping cart functionality within their WordPress environments. This plugin has been identified as containing a critical cross-site request forgery vulnerability that affects all versions up to and including 2.8.28. The vulnerability stems from inadequate security measures within the plugin's backend processing mechanisms, specifically targeting the sunshine_products_quicksave_post() function which handles the saving of custom post data. This flaw creates a significant attack vector that could allow malicious actors to manipulate the plugin's functionality without proper authentication.
The technical exploitation of this CSRF vulnerability occurs due to the absence of proper nonce validation within the sunshine_products_quicksave_post() function. Nonces serve as cryptographic tokens that verify the authenticity of requests and prevent unauthorized actions from being executed on behalf of authenticated users. When these validation checks are missing or improperly implemented, attackers can construct malicious requests that appear legitimate to the WordPress system. The vulnerability is particularly dangerous because it requires no authentication from the attacker, as long as they can successfully trick an administrator into performing an action such as clicking on a malicious link or visiting a compromised website. This makes the attack surface significantly broader than typical authenticated exploits.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data manipulation to potentially compromise entire WordPress installations through unauthorized modifications of photo gallery configurations, product listings, and cart settings. Attackers could exploit this weakness to modify product prices, alter gallery displays, inject malicious content into photo collections, or even disable critical shopping cart functionality. The vulnerability creates a persistent threat vector that could remain active until the plugin is updated, potentially allowing attackers to maintain access to compromised systems over extended periods. Site administrators who are tricked into clicking malicious links could unknowingly execute actions that fundamentally alter their e-commerce operations, leading to financial losses, data corruption, or reputational damage.
Security practitioners should immediately implement mitigations including updating to the latest plugin version where the nonce validation has been properly implemented and tested. The vulnerability aligns with CWE-352, which specifically addresses cross-site request forgery flaws in software applications. Organizations should also consider implementing additional security layers such as web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious request patterns, and network monitoring solutions that can identify unusual administrative activities. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1547.001, which deals with registry run keys and startup folder, as attackers might use the compromised plugin to establish persistent access through modified administrative functions. Regular security audits of WordPress plugins and their configurations should be conducted to identify similar validation gaps, and administrators should implement strict access controls and user training programs to reduce the risk of social engineering attacks that exploit this particular vulnerability.