Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
A logged-in WordPress user with posting rights could overwrite Elementor-built pages through Starter Templates and make visitors run attacker-supplied JavaScript. This can damage public content, steal browser-accessible data, and undermine trust. Exposure is limited to sites using the vulnerable Starter Templates version with Elementor installed.
Executive priority
Treat as high priority for public WordPress sites because a low-privileged account can alter published pages and create persistent browser-side compromise. Prioritize internet-facing marketing, ecommerce, and lead-generation sites.
Technical view
CVE-2021-42360 affects Starter Templates — Elementor, Gutenberg & Beaver Builder Templates up to 2.7.0 when Elementor is present. Users with edit_posts, including Contributors, could abuse the astra-page-elementor-batch-process AJAX import path to replace Elementor pages with remotely hosted block content containing stored XSS.
Likely exposure
WordPress sites running Starter Templates version 2.7.0 or earlier and also using Elementor are the relevant exposure population. The source bundle does not establish exposure for sites without Elementor or for non-WordPress systems.
Exploitation context
The flaw requires an authenticated account with edit_posts capability. The source bundle does not show CISA KEV listing or confirmed active exploitation. Public reporting described broad install impact and a practical stored XSS/content overwrite scenario.
Researcher notes
Key conditions are Starter Templates <=2.7.0, Elementor present, and an authenticated user with edit_posts. Evidence supports stored XSS plus page overwrite impact. Patch details are not fully contained in the provided bundle, so remediation should follow vendor guidance.
Mitigation direction
- Upgrade Starter Templates per vendor guidance beyond affected 2.7.0 versions.
- If no update is available, disable the plugin until vendor guidance is confirmed.
- Restrict Contributor and other edit_posts roles on affected sites.
- Review Elementor-built public pages for unauthorized changes or scripts.
- Remove unexpected imported blocks and restore known-good page revisions.
Validation and detection
- Inventory WordPress sites using Starter Templates and record plugin versions.
- Confirm whether Elementor is installed on each affected site.
- List accounts and roles with edit_posts capability.
- Review logs for unexpected astra-page-elementor-batch-process activity.
- Inspect Elementor pages for unauthorized content replacement or scripts.
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-284: Authorization and privilege behavior lookup
Authorization weaknesses can support privilege escalation and valid-account review, depending on exploit path. 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 lookupCWE-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 lookupCWE-99: Exact CWE lookup
Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. 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-2021-42360 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
- High
- CVSS
- 7.6 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:L
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 vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:L2.84.7Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
7.6HighVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:L
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://www.wordfence.com/blog/2021/11/over-1-million-sites-impacted-by-vulnerability-in-starter-templates-plugin/CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
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 Access Control
Improper Access Control represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.
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.
Improper Control of Resource Identifiers ('Resource Injection')
Improper Control of Resource Identifiers ('Resource Injection') represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.