Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
WP SMS for WordPress had an authenticated stored cross-site scripting flaw before version 5.4.13. A logged-in user could save unsafe group-name content that the Groups page later displayed unsafely. This could affect administrators or other users viewing that page.
Executive priority
Treat as a routine but time-sensitive web application risk. It is not KEV-listed, but stored XSS in WordPress plugins can expose privileged sessions and damage trust if unpatched.
Technical view
CVE-2021-24561 is CWE-79 in WP SMS before 5.4.13. The plugin failed to sanitize the wp_group_name parameter before reflecting stored content on the Groups page, creating authenticated stored XSS. The source bundle does not provide CVSS scoring or role requirements.
Likely exposure
Exposure is likely limited to WordPress sites running WP SMS before 5.4.13, especially where multiple authenticated users can access or modify SMS groups. Exact required privileges are not stated in the provided sources.
Exploitation context
The record describes authenticated stored XSS but provides no evidence of active exploitation. The CVE is not marked in KEV, and the supplied sources do not claim exploitation in the wild.
Researcher notes
The provided data confirms the vulnerable parameter and output location, but not CVSS, exact roles, exploit maturity, or complete patch notes. Avoid assuming unauthenticated exposure or broader product impact.
Mitigation direction
- Upgrade WP SMS to version 5.4.13 or later where the vulnerable behavior is addressed.
- Check WP SMS vendor or WordPress plugin guidance for any additional remediation notes.
- Limit WP SMS group-management access to trusted users until updates are complete.
- Review affected sites for unexpected group names or suspicious plugin-user activity.
Validation and detection
- Inventory WordPress sites and confirm whether WP SMS is installed.
- Confirm the installed WP SMS version is 5.4.13 or later.
- Verify which authenticated roles can access the WP SMS Groups page.
- Review the WordPress Trac changeset for sanitization-related changes.
- After updating, regression test group-name display with benign special characters.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-79: User-session and phishing behavior lookup
Client-side and session-facing weaknesses should be reviewed alongside initial-access and user-execution behaviors. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2021-24561 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Unknown
- CVSS
- Not scored
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS and timeline data
No CVSS vectors or timeline events were available in the normalized CVE source material.
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://wpscan.com/vulnerability/5433ef4c-4451-4b6e-992b-69c5eccabf90CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/2570762/wp-smsCVE reference · x_refsource_CONFIRM
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.