# CVE-2021-24427: W3 Total Cache < 2.1.3 - Authenticated Stored XSS

> High-privilege users can inject JavaScript into CDN settings, leading to stored XSS attacks against other users.

- **Severity:** Medium 4.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 12 Jul 2021
- **Updated:** 3 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-6h4x-c495-6qh7

## What is CVE-2021-24427?

CVE-2021-24427 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in BoldGrid W3 Total Cache, published on 12 Jul 2021. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

The W3 Total Cache WordPress plugin before 2.1.3 did not sanitise or escape some of its CDN settings, allowing high privilege users to use JavaScript in them, which will be output in the page, leading to an authenticated Stored Cross-Site Scripting issue

Weakness: CWE-79 (Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-24427?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Boldgrid W3 Total Cache.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-24427?

No fix has been published for CVE-2021-24427 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2021-24427 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-24427 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in BoldGrid W3 Total Cache

- [CVE-2024-12365](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-12365/): W3 Total Cache <= 2.8.1 - Authenticated (Subscriber+) Missing Authorization to Server-Side Request Forgery (high 8.5)
- [CVE-2012-6077](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-6077/): Information disclosure in Total Cache (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2012-6078](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-6078/): Information disclosure in Total Cache (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2012-6079](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-6079/): Information disclosure in Total Cache (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2019-6715](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-6715/): Path traversal in n/a (high 7.5)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2021-24427 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-24427 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in BoldGrid W3 Total Cache, published on 12 Jul 2021. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-24427 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: BoldGrid W3 Total Cache. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-24427/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-24427/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-24427
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-24427
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-24427

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-24427/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.