CVE-2021-34638

WordPress Download Manager <= 3.1.24 - Cross-Site Scripting

2021-07-29 00:00
Ram

Strategic Overview

Status
Patched in 3.1.25
Affected Plugin
Download Manager
Affected Version
<= 3.1.24
CVSS
6.5Medium
Weakness type
CWE-79 · Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')
CVE
CVE-2021-34638
View all Download Manager vulnerabilities

At a glance

CVE-2021-34638 is a medium-severity Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in the Download Manager WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 3.1.24. It carries a CVSS score of 6.5 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity; high confidentiality impact). The issue is fixed in version 3.1.25; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed July 2021, reported by Ram.

Vulnerability Overview

Authenticated Directory Traversal in WordPress Download Manager <= 3.1.24 allows authenticated (Contributor+) users to obtain sensitive configuration file information, as well as allowing Author+ users to perform XSS attacks, by setting Download template to a file containing configuration information or an uploaded JavaScript with an image extension This issue affects: WordPress Download Manager version 3.1.24 and prior versions.

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.

CWE-79: Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')

Reaching this weakness in Download Manager <= 3.1.24 takes a caller who can reach the endpoint. Cross-site scripting happens when input from a request is written into a page without being escaped for the context it lands in, so the browser parses attacker-supplied text as markup or script.

Injected script runs with the privileges of whoever views the affected page, which is how these flaws turn into administrator session theft, silent account creation or persistent backdoors in page content. For Download Manager the fix is 3.1.25: builds <= 3.1.24 are affected, anything from 3.1.25 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 3.1.25, or a newer patched version

How does WordSec protect against this?

The attempt arrives as an ordinary request to Download Manager: WordSec's web application firewall inspects request payloads before WordPress loads them. None of that substitutes for the fix: Download Manager 3.1.25 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

  • Firewall
  • Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-34638https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/776fc47e-a86c-43dc-8d5e-50273c4411b2https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-34638

Related records

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