CVE-2021-24758

Email Log <= 2.4.6 - Admin+ SQL Injection

2021-10-18 00:00

Strategic Overview

Status: Patched in 2.4.7
Affected Plugin: Email Log
Affected Version: <= 2.4.6
CVSS: 7.2High
Weakness type: CWE-89 · Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection')
CVE: CVE-2021-24758

At a glance

CVE-2021-24758 is a high-severity Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection') vulnerability in the Email Log WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 2.4.6. It carries a CVSS score of 7.2 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity; high confidentiality, integrity, availability impact). The issue is fixed in version 2.4.7; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed October 2021, reported by bl4derunner.

Vulnerability Overview

The Email Log WordPress plugin before 2.4.7 does not properly validate, sanitise and escape the "orderby" and "order" GET parameters before using them in SQL statement in the admin dashboard, leading to SQL injections

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')

Email Log <= 2.4.6 carries this weakness at orderby, and reaching it 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 Email Log the fix is 2.4.7: builds <= 2.4.6 are affected, anything from 2.4.7 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 2.4.7, or a newer patched version

How does WordSec protect against this?

The attempt arrives as an ordinary request to Email Log: WordSec's web application firewall inspects request payloads before WordPress loads them. None of that substitutes for the fix: Email Log 2.4.7 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

Firewall
Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-24758 https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/4ca4fa28-53b0-4bc4-99f8-fa6dfa14d500 https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-24758

Related records

Other vulnerabilities in Email Log

CVSS Vector

7.2

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

Base

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

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