CVE-2021-24957

Advanced Page Visit Counter <= 6.1.5 - Subscriber+ Blind SQL injection

2022-04-08 00:00

Strategic Overview

Status: Patched in 6.1.6
Affected Plugin: Advanced Page Visit Counter – Most Wanted Analytics Plugin for WordPress
Affected Version: < 6.1.6
CVSS: 8.8High
Weakness type: CWE-89 · Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection')
CVE: CVE-2021-24957

View all Advanced Page Visit Counter – Most Wanted Analytics Plugin for WordPress vulnerabilities

At a glance

CVE-2021-24957 is a high-severity Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection') vulnerability in the Advanced Page Visit Counter WordPress plugin, affecting versions < 6.1.6. It carries a CVSS score of 8.8 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity; high confidentiality, integrity, availability impact). The issue is fixed in version 6.1.6; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed April 2022, reported by Krzysztof Zając.

Vulnerability Overview

The Advanced Page Visit Counter WordPress plugin through 6.1.5 does not escape the artID parameter before using it in a SQL statement in the apvc_reset_count_art AJAX action, available to any authenticated user, leading to a SQL injection

Technical Analysis

The vector marks this flaw as remotely reachable over the network, with low attack complexity — no special timing or configuration is needed, and no interaction from a victim user. A successful exploit has high impact on confidentiality, integrity, availability — full site compromise territory.

CWE-89: Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection')

Reaching this weakness in Advanced Page Visit Counter < 6.1.6 takes a caller who can reach the endpoint. SQL injection happens when request data is concatenated into a query instead of being bound as a parameter, letting an attacker change the structure of the statement rather than just its values.

A working injection can read any table the database user can see, which on a WordPress install means user records, password hashes and session or API secrets stored in options. For Advanced Page Visit Counter the fix is 6.1.6: builds < 6.1.6 are affected, anything from 6.1.6 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 6.1.6, or a newer patched version

How does WordSec protect against this?

The attempt arrives as an ordinary request to Advanced Page Visit Counter: WordSec's web application firewall inspects request payloads before WordPress loads them. None of that substitutes for the fix: Advanced Page Visit Counter 6.1.6 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

Firewall
Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-24957 https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/96a0ca0c-7cd5-4be4-a833-fc15fff62362 https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-24957

Related records

Same weakness class

Other vulnerabilities in Advanced Page Visit Counter – Most Wanted Analytics Plugin for WordPress

CVSS Vector

8.8

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Base

Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges RequiredLow
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityHigh

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