# CVE-2021-25022: UpdraftPlus < 1.16.66 - Reflected Cross-Site Scripting

> Attackers can inject malicious scripts into admin pages via unsanitized parameters, potentially compromising administrator accounts.

- **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:** 3 Jan 2022
- **Updated:** 22 May 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-jjh4-9fxq-rj65

## What is CVE-2021-25022?

CVE-2021-25022 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in Unknown UpdraftPlus WordPress Backup Plugin, published on 3 Jan 2022. 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 UpdraftPlus WordPress Backup Plugin WordPress plugin before 1.16.66 does not sanitise and escape the backup_timestamp and job_id parameter before outputting then back in admin pages, leading to Reflected Cross-Site Scripting issues

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

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-25022?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Updraftplus Updraftplus.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-25022?

No fix has been published for CVE-2021-25022 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2021-25022 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2021-25022 exists.

## Other vulnerabilities in Unknown UpdraftPlus WordPress Backup Plugin

- [CVE-2017-16870](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-16870/): Server-side request forgery in n/a (high 8.1)
- [CVE-2017-16871](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-16871/): Race condition in n/a (high 8.1)
- [CVE-2023-32960](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-32960/): WordPress UpdraftPlus Plugin <= 1.23.3 is vulnerable to Cross Site Request Forgery (CSRF) (high 7.1)
- [CVE-2022-0633](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-0633/): UpdraftPlus Free < 1.22.3 & Premium < 2.22.3 - Subscriber+ Backup Download (medium 6.5)
- [CVE-2022-0864](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-0864/): UpdraftPlus < 1.22.9 - Reflected Cross-Site Scripting (medium 6.1)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2021-25022 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-25022 is a medium-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in Unknown UpdraftPlus WordPress Backup Plugin, published on 3 Jan 2022. 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-2021-25022 exists.

Affected product: Unknown UpdraftPlus WordPress Backup Plugin. 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-2021-25022/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-25022/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-25022
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-25022
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-25022

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-25022/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.