CVE-2021-33561 Explained : Impact and Mitigation

A stored cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Shopizer before version 2.17.0 allows remote attackers to inject arbitrary web scripts or HTML via the customer_name parameter in various forms of store administration, which gets saved in the database and executed for any user of store administration when backend information is fetched.

Understanding CVE-2021-33561

This CVE describes a stored cross-site scripting vulnerability in the Shopizer e-commerce platform, affecting versions prior to 2.17.0.

What is CVE-2021-33561?

The vulnerability allows malicious actors to insert and execute arbitrary web scripts or HTML code using the customer_name parameter in store administration forms.

The Impact of CVE-2021-33561

Remote attackers can exploit this vulnerability to inject malicious scripts, potentially leading to unauthorized data access, cookie theft, or other forms of client-side attacks.

Technical Details of CVE-2021-33561

This section provides more insight into the vulnerability's description, affected systems and versions, as well as the exploitation mechanism.

Vulnerability Description

The stored XSS vulnerability in Shopizer before 2.17.0 permits the injection of malicious web scripts or HTML via the customer_name input, specifically in the store administration pages.

Affected Systems and Versions

All versions of Shopizer ecommerce platform before 2.17.0 are impacted by this vulnerability.

Exploitation Mechanism

Remote threat actors can exploit this flaw by inserting crafted scripts or HTML code into the customer_name field within store administration forms.

Mitigation and Prevention

In this section, we discuss the steps to mitigate the risks posed by CVE-2021-33561 and prevent future occurrences.

Immediate Steps to Take

Upgrade Shopizer to version 2.17.0 or newer to patch the vulnerability and prevent exploitation.
Regularly monitor and sanitize user inputs on the frontend to prevent XSS attacks.

Long-Term Security Practices

Implement strict input validation and output encoding mechanisms.
Conduct security audits and penetration testing regularly to identify and address vulnerabilities.

Patching and Updates

Stay updated with security advisories from Shopizer and apply patches promptly to protect your system from known vulnerabilities.