CVE-2021-24620
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability in the WordPress Simple Ecommerce Shopping Cart Plugin allows administrators to upload arbitrary files, including PHP files, without proper validation. Attackers can exploit this via CSRF attacks to trick logged-in administrators into uploading malicious PHP files, leading to remote code execution. All WordPress sites using vulnerable versions of this plugin are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- WordPress Simple Ecommerce Shopping Cart Plugin - Sell products through Paypal
📦 What is this software?
Simple E Commerce Shopping Cart by Simple E Commerce Shopping Cart Project
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Full server compromise through remote code execution, allowing attackers to execute arbitrary commands, install malware, steal data, or pivot to other systems.
Likely Case
Attackers upload web shells to gain persistent access, deface websites, or install cryptocurrency miners.
If Mitigated
Limited impact with proper file upload restrictions and CSRF protections in place.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires tricking an administrator into performing actions via CSRF.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 2.2.6
Vendor Advisory: https://wpscan.com/vulnerability/1f2b3c4a-f7e9-4d22-b71e-f6b051fd8349
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Log into WordPress admin panel. 2. Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins. 3. Find 'Simple Ecommerce Shopping Cart Plugin - Sell products through Paypal'. 4. Click 'Update Now' if available, or manually update to version 2.2.6 or higher.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Plugin
allTemporarily disable the vulnerable plugin until patched.
Restrict File Uploads
linuxConfigure web server to block PHP file execution in upload directories.
# For Apache: Add to .htaccess in upload directory
<Files *.php>
Order Deny,Allow
Deny from all
</Files>
# For Nginx: Add to server block
location ~* \.php$ {
deny all;
}
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Remove the plugin entirely if not needed.
- Implement strict CSRF protection and file upload validation at application level.
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check WordPress admin panel > Plugins > Installed Plugins for plugin version. If version is 2.2.5 or lower, it's vulnerable.Check Version:
# In WordPress root directory
grep -r "Version:" wp-content/plugins/simple-ecommerce-shopping-cart-plugin/simple-ecommerce-shopping-cart-plugin.phpVerify Fix Applied:
Confirm plugin version is 2.2.6 or higher in WordPress admin panel.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual file uploads to plugin directories (e.g., .php files in uploads folder)
- CSRF attempts in web server logs
- Administrator account performing unexpected upload actions
Network Indicators:
- HTTP POST requests to plugin upload endpoints with PHP file extensions
- Unusual outbound connections from web server post-upload
SIEM Query:
source="web_server" AND (uri_path="/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php" OR uri_path CONTAINS "simple-ecommerce-shopping-cart") AND (file_extension=".php" OR method="POST")