CVE-2021-24322

Database Backup for WordPress <= 2.3.3 - Authenticated Stored Cross-Site Scripting via backup_receipient Parameter

2021-05-16 00:00

Strategic Overview

Status: Patched in 2.4
Affected Plugin: Database Backup for WordPress
Affected Version: < 2.4
CVSS: 5.4Medium
Weakness type: CWE-79 · Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')
CVE: CVE-2021-24322

View all Database Backup for WordPress vulnerabilities

At a glance

CVE-2021-24322 is a medium-severity Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in the Database Backup for WordPress WordPress plugin, affecting versions < 2.4. It carries a CVSS score of 5.4 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity). Exploitation requires an authenticated account. The issue is fixed in version 2.4; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed May 2021, reported by R3N0.

Vulnerability Overview

The Database Backup for WordPress plugin before 2.4 did not escape the backup_recipient POST parameter in before output it back in the attribute of an HTML tag, leading to a Stored Cross-Site Scripting issue.

Technical Analysis

The vector marks this flaw as remotely reachable over the network, with low attack complexity — no special timing or configuration is needed.

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

Reaching this weakness in Database Backup for WordPress < 2.4 takes any authenticated account. 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 Database Backup for WordPress the fix is 2.4: builds < 2.4 are affected, anything from 2.4 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 2.4, or a newer patched version

How does WordSec protect against this?

The attempt arrives as an ordinary request to Database Backup for WordPress: WordSec's web application firewall inspects request payloads before WordPress loads them. None of that substitutes for the fix: Database Backup for WordPress 2.4 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

Firewall
Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-24322 https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/453c656a-c26d-44c3-bc7d-7fc502a00b03 https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-24322

Related records

Other vulnerabilities in Database Backup for WordPress

CVSS Vector

5.4

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

Base

Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges RequiredLow
User InteractionRequired
ScopeChanged
ConfidentialityLow
IntegrityLow
AvailabilityNone

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