# CVE-2021-24522: ProfilePress < 3.1.11 - Unauthenticated Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) in tabbed login/register widget

> Unauthenticated attackers can inject malicious scripts via the login widget, potentially gaining administrative access to the WordPress site.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.1 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 9 Aug 2021
- **Updated:** 3 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-6hqj-g24g-vjcr

## What is CVE-2021-24522?

CVE-2021-24522 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in Unknown User Registration, User Profile, Login & Membership – ProfilePress (Formerly WP User Avatar), published on 9 Aug 2021. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

The User Registration, User Profile, Login & Membership – ProfilePress (Formerly WP User Avatar) WordPress plugin before 3.1.11's widget for tabbed login/register was not properly escaped and could be used in an XSS attack which could lead to wp-admin access. Further, the plugin in several places assigned $_POST as $_GET which meant that in some cases this could be replicated with just $_GET parameters and no need for $_POST values.

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

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-24522?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Properfraction Profilepress.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-24522?

No fix has been published for CVE-2021-24522 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2021-24522 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2021-24522 exists.

Public exploit code:

- ProfilePress < 3.1.11 - Cross-Site Scripting (nuclei): http/cves/2021/CVE-2021-24522.yaml

## Other vulnerabilities in Unknown User Registration, User Profile, Login & Membership – ProfilePress (Formerly WP User Avatar)

- [CVE-2021-34621](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-34621/): ProfilePress 3.0 - 3.1.3 - Unauthenticated Privilege Escalation (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2021-34622](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-34622/): ProfilePress 3.0 - 3.1.3 - Authenticated Privilege Escalation (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2021-34623](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-34623/): ProfilePress 3.0 - 3.1.3 - Arbitrary File Upload in Image Uploader Component (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2021-34624](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-34624/): ProfilePress 3.0 - 3.1.3 - Arbitrary File Upload in File Uploader Component (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2023-41954](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-41954/): WordPress ProfilePress plugin <= 4.13.1 - Unauthenticated Limited Privilege Escalation vulnerability (high 8.6)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2021-24522 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-24522 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in Unknown User Registration, User Profile, Login & Membership – ProfilePress (Formerly WP User Avatar), published on 9 Aug 2021. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2021-24522 exists.

Affected product: Unknown User Registration, User Profile, Login & Membership – ProfilePress (Formerly WP User Avatar). 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-2021-24522/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-24522/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-24522
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-24522
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-24522

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-24522/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.