CVE-2021-43138

async <= 2.6.3 and 3-3.2.2 - Prototype Pollution

2022-04-07 00:00

Strategic Overview

Status: Patched in 1.0.5
Affected Plugin: Insert Special Characters
Affected Version: <= 1.0.4
CVSS: 7.8High
Weakness type: CWE-915 · Improperly Controlled Modification of Dynamically-Determined Object Attributes
CVE: CVE-2021-43138

View all Insert Special Characters vulnerabilities

At a glance

CVE-2021-43138 is a high-severity Improperly Controlled Modification of Dynamically-Determined Object Attributes vulnerability in the Insert Special Characters WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 1.0.4. It carries a CVSS score of 7.8 (low attack complexity; high confidentiality, integrity, availability impact). Exploitation requires no authentication. The issue is fixed in version 1.0.5; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed April 2022.

Vulnerability Overview

In Async before 2.6.4 and 3.x before 3.2.2, a malicious user can obtain privileges via the mapValues() method, aka lib/internal/iterator.js createObjectIterator prototype pollution. Some WordPress plugins and themes use this dependency though that doesn’t necessarily mean the plugin itself is vulnerable to exploitation.

Technical Analysis

The vector marks this flaw as requiring local or adjacent access, with low attack complexity — no special timing or configuration is needed, and no privileges on the target site. A successful exploit has high impact on confidentiality, integrity, availability — full site compromise territory.

CWE-915: Improperly Controlled Modification of Dynamically-Determined Object Attributes

The product receives input from an upstream component that specifies multiple attributes, properties, or fields that are to be initialized or updated in an object, but it does not properly control which attributes can be modified.

Remediation

Update to version 1.0.5, or a newer patched version

How does WordSec protect against this?

The fix is the thing that ends this: Insert Special Characters 1.0.5 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-43138 https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/361315ff-99ef-4fb2-946f-8ccc307bd3be https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-43138

Related records

Same weakness class

Other vulnerabilities in Insert Special Characters

CVSS Vector

7.8

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

Base

Attack VectorLocal
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges RequiredNone
User InteractionRequired
ScopeUnchanged
ConfidentialityHigh
IntegrityHigh
AvailabilityHigh

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