CVE-2021-25051
📋 TL;DR
The Modal Window WordPress plugin before version 5.2.2 contains a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) vulnerability that allows authenticated attackers to include arbitrary files with PHP extensions or via data:// and http:// protocols. This leads to Remote Code Execution (RCE) on affected WordPress sites. WordPress administrators using vulnerable plugin versions are affected.
💻 Affected Systems
- Modal Window WordPress Plugin
📦 What is this software?
Modal Window by Wow Company
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Full server compromise allowing attackers to execute arbitrary code, install backdoors, steal data, or pivot to other systems.
Likely Case
Website defacement, data theft, malware installation, or use as part of a botnet.
If Mitigated
Limited impact due to proper access controls and monitoring, potentially only affecting plugin functionality.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires tricking an authenticated admin into performing an action, but the technical exploit itself is straightforward.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: 5.2.2
Vendor Advisory: https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/2641645/modal-window
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Log into WordPress admin panel. 2. Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins. 3. Find 'Modal Window' plugin. 4. Click 'Update Now' if update available. 5. If no update appears, manually download version 5.2.2+ from WordPress repository and replace plugin files.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable Plugin
allTemporarily disable the Modal Window plugin until patched.
wp plugin deactivate modal-window
Restrict Admin Access
allImplement IP whitelisting for WordPress admin area to prevent unauthorized access.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to block file inclusion attempts
- Enable strict CSRF protection and use anti-CSRF tokens on all forms
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check WordPress admin panel > Plugins > Modal Window version. If version is below 5.2.2, system is vulnerable.Check Version:
wp plugin get modal-window --field=versionVerify Fix Applied:
Confirm Modal Window plugin version is 5.2.2 or higher in WordPress admin panel.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Unusual file inclusion attempts in web server logs
- POST requests to wow-company admin menu with file parameters
- Unexpected PHP file executions
Network Indicators:
- HTTP requests with data:// or http:// protocols in file inclusion parameters
- CSRF attempts targeting admin endpoints
SIEM Query:
source="web_server" AND (uri_path="*wow-company*" AND (param="*file*" OR param="*include*"))