CVE-2021-24750

WP Visitor Statistics (Real Time Traffic) <= 4.7 - SQL Injection

2021-12-22 00:00

Strategic Overview

Status: Patched in 4.8
Affected Plugin: WP Visitor Statistics (Real Time Traffic)
Affected Version: < 4.8
CVSS: 8.8High
Weakness type: CWE-89 · Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection')
CVE: CVE-2021-24750

View all WP Visitor Statistics (Real Time Traffic) vulnerabilities

At a glance

CVE-2021-24750 is a high-severity Improper Neutralization of Special Elements used in an SQL Command ('SQL Injection') vulnerability in the WP Visitor Statistics (Real Time Traffic) WordPress plugin, affecting versions < 4.8. 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 4.8; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed December 2021, reported by Ron Jost (Hacker5preme).

Vulnerability Overview

The WP Visitor Statistics (Real Time Traffic) WordPress plugin before 4.8 does not properly sanitise and escape the refUrl in the refDetails AJAX action, available to any authenticated user, which could allow users with a role as low as subscriber to perform SQL injection attacks

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 WP Visitor Statistics (Real Time Traffic) < 4.8 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 WP Visitor Statistics (Real Time Traffic) the fix is 4.8: builds < 4.8 are affected, anything from 4.8 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 4.8, or a newer patched version

How does WordSec protect against this?

The attempt arrives as an ordinary request to WP Visitor Statistics (Real Time Traffic): WordSec's web application firewall inspects request payloads before WordPress loads them. None of that substitutes for the fix: WP Visitor Statistics (Real Time Traffic) 4.8 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

Firewall
Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-24750 https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/9687e8e5-add1-477d-9cb7-f94b8af10da5 https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-24750

Related records

Same weakness class

Other vulnerabilities in WP Visitor Statistics (Real Time Traffic)

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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