Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2021-4381 is a critical uListing WordPress plugin flaw. On affected sites, an unauthenticated attacker could change WordPress options in the database, which may lead to full site compromise, data exposure, or outage. The provided sources do not show confirmed active exploitation.
Executive priority
Treat this as urgent for any public WordPress site using uListing. The issue enables unauthenticated database option changes and carries critical impact. Prioritize inventory, update or disablement, and post-remediation review for suspicious option changes.
Technical view
uListing through version 1.6.6 lacked capability checks and a security nonce in StmListingSingleLayout::import_new_layout via wp_route. This authorization bypass lets unauthenticated network attackers modify arbitrary WordPress options. CVSS is 9.8 and the mapped weakness is CWE-862.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited to internet-accessible WordPress sites running the Directory Listings WordPress plugin uListing up to and including 1.6.6. Sites not using this plugin, or using a vendor-confirmed fixed release, are not indicated as affected by the provided bundle.
Exploitation context
The vulnerability is remotely reachable, unauthenticated, low complexity, and requires no user interaction. KEV is false, and the supplied sources do not confirm exploitation in the wild. Business impact depends on which WordPress options are changed, but the source description supports high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact.
Researcher notes
Evidence supports an authorization bypass through wp_route in StmListingSingleLayout::import_new_layout, caused by missing capability and nonce checks. The bundle references a WordPress plugin changeset and Nintechnet write-up, but does not provide a confirmed exploited-in-the-wild status or exact fixed version in the structured fields.
Mitigation direction
- Inventory WordPress sites for the uListing plugin and installed version.
- Update uListing to a vendor-confirmed fixed release beyond 1.6.6.
- If a fixed release cannot be confirmed, disable or remove the plugin.
- Review vendor, Wordfence, Nintechnet, and WordPress plugin guidance for current remediation details.
- Back up the site before plugin changes and verify normal listing functionality afterward.
Validation and detection
- Confirm whether uListing is installed on each WordPress site.
- Record the plugin version and flag versions up to and including 1.6.6.
- Review WordPress options for unexpected recent changes on affected sites.
- Check web and application logs for suspicious unauthenticated requests to uListing routes.
- Verify remediation by confirming the vulnerable version is no longer present.
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-862: 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 lookupPrivilege behavior lookup
The CVE wording references privilege impact, so privilege escalation and authorization behavior review may help. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupDatabase behavior lookup
The CVE wording references database injection or access, so collection and exfiltration review may help. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2021-4381 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
- Critical
- CVSS
- 9.8 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
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:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H3.95.9Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
9.8CriticalVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/ff5755dc-2262-47f6-ac3a-6bca9529d088?source=cveCVE reference
- https://blog.nintechnet.com/wordpress-ulisting-plugin-fixed-multiple-critical-vulnerabilities/CVE reference
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset?sfp_email=&sfph_mail=&reponame=&old=2456786%40ulisting&new=2456786%40ulisting&sfp_email=&sfph_mail=CVE reference
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.