Highly exploitable, CVE-2021-41252 poses a critical security risk that could lead to severe breaches.
Status: Modified
Last updated: 🕕 21 Nov 2024, 06:25 UTC
Originally published on: 🕕 16 Nov 2021, 18:15 UTC
Time between publication and last update: 1100 days
CVSS Release: version 3
security-advisories@github.com
Secondary
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
CVE-2021-41252: Kirby is an open source file structured CMS ### Impact Kirby's writer field stores its formatted content as HTML code. Unlike with other field types, it is not possible to escape HTML special characters against cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks, otherwise the formatting would be lost. If the user is logged in to the Panel, a harmful script can for example trigger requests to Kirby's API with the permissions of the victim. Because the writer field did not securely sanitize its contents on save, it was possible to inject malicious HTML code into the content file by sending it to Kirby's API directly without using the Panel. This malicious HTML code would then be displayed on the site frontend and executed in the browsers of site visitors and logged in users who are browsing the site. Attackers must be in your group of authenticated Panel users in order to exploit this weakness. Users who do not make use of the writer field are not affected. This issue has been patched in Kirby 3.5.8 by sanitizing all writer field contents on the backend whenever the content is modified via Kirby's API. Please update to this or a later version to fix the vulnerability.
The exploitability of CVE-2021-41252 depends on two key factors: attack complexity (the level of effort required to execute an exploit) and privileges required (the access level an attacker needs).
CVE-2021-41252 presents an accessible attack vector with minimal effort required. Restricting access controls and implementing security updates are critical to reducing exploitation risks.
A lower complexity and fewer privilege requirements make exploitation easier. Security teams should evaluate these aspects to determine the urgency of mitigation strategies, such as patch management and access control policies.
Attack Complexity (AC) measures the difficulty in executing an exploit. A high AC means that specific conditions must be met, making an attack more challenging, while a low AC means the vulnerability can be exploited with minimal effort.
Privileges Required (PR) determine the level of system access necessary for an attack. Vulnerabilities requiring no privileges are more accessible to attackers, whereas high privilege requirements limit exploitation to authorized users with elevated access.
Above is the CVSS Sub-score Breakdown for CVE-2021-41252, illustrating how Base, Impact, and Exploitability factors combine to form the overall severity rating. A higher sub-score typically indicates a more severe or easier-to-exploit vulnerability.
Below is the Impact Analysis for CVE-2021-41252, showing how Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability might be affected if the vulnerability is exploited. Higher values usually signal greater potential damage.
The EPSS score estimates the probability that this vulnerability will be exploited in the near future.
EPSS Score: 0.06% (probability of exploit)
EPSS Percentile: 28.43%
(lower percentile = lower relative risk)
This vulnerability is less risky than approximately 71.57% of others.
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