CVE-2021-24764 : Exploit Details and Defense Strategies

Perfect Survey Plugin version before 1.5.2 in WordPress is vulnerable to Reflected Cross-Site Scripting attacks due to unsanitized parameters.

Understanding CVE-2021-24764

This vulnerability in the Perfect Survey WordPress plugin allows attackers to execute malicious scripts through unsanitized user inputs.

What is CVE-2021-24764?

The Perfect Survey WordPress plugin prior to version 1.5.2 fails to sanitize multiple parameters, leading to Reflected Cross-Site Scripting vulnerabilities on specific pages in the admin dashboard.

The Impact of CVE-2021-24764

Exploiting this vulnerability could allow malicious actors to inject and execute arbitrary JavaScript code in the context of the admin user's browser, potentially compromising sensitive data or performing unauthorized actions.

Technical Details of CVE-2021-24764

This section provides detailed technical information about the vulnerability.

Vulnerability Description

The issue arises from the plugin not properly sanitizing and escaping parameters such as 'id' and 'filters[session_id]' on the single_statistics page, and 'type' and 'message' on the importexport page.

Affected Systems and Versions

The vulnerability affects Perfect Survey WordPress plugin versions before 1.5.2.

Exploitation Mechanism

Attackers can exploit this vulnerability by crafting specially-crafted URLs containing malicious scripts, tricking users with admin privileges into accessing these URLs, resulting in the execution of the injected code.

Mitigation and Prevention

To protect your system from CVE-2021-24764, consider the following security measures.

Immediate Steps to Take

Update the Perfect Survey plugin to version 1.5.2 or newer to mitigate the vulnerability.
Educate users with admin privileges about the risks of clicking on unverified links.

Long-Term Security Practices

Regularly scan your WordPress plugins for security vulnerabilities using tools like WPScan.
Implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF) to filter out potentially malicious requests and prevent XSS attacks.

Patching and Updates

Stay informed about security updates and patches released by the plugin developer. Promptly apply patches to ensure that known vulnerabilities are addressed in a timely manner.