Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
This affects WordPress sites using Contact Form 7 Style up to version 3.2. A malicious site or link could cause a logged-in administrator’s browser to change plugin templates without proper request verification. The reported impact is limited integrity change, not data theft or service outage.
Executive priority
Treat this as a moderate WordPress integrity risk. It is not reported as actively exploited in the provided sources, but affected public sites should be remediated during normal vulnerability maintenance because administrator interaction can still produce unauthorized content changes.
Technical view
CVE-2021-4390 is a CSRF issue in Contact Form 7 Style for WordPress through 3.2. The manage_wp_posts_be_qe_save_post() function lacks correct nonce validation, allowing forged quick-edit template changes when an administrator is induced to perform an action. CVSS 3.1 is 4.3, CWE-352.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited to WordPress installations with Contact Form 7 Style version 3.2 or earlier installed and accessible to administrators. Sites without the plugin, or without vulnerable versions, are not indicated as affected by the provided sources.
Exploitation context
The bundle does not show CISA KEV inclusion or confirmed active exploitation. Exploitation requires user interaction by a site administrator, typically through a deceptive link or page, and would target template integrity rather than confidentiality or availability.
Researcher notes
Evidence identifies the vulnerable function and CSRF root cause, but the provided bundle does not name a specific fixed version. Avoid assuming exploit activity or patch status beyond the cited sources. Validate exposure through plugin version inventory and code review of nonce checks.
Mitigation direction
- Inventory WordPress sites for Contact Form 7 Style installations and versions.
- Check vendor, WordPress plugin, or Wordfence guidance for a fixed release.
- Update if a fixed version is available from trusted sources.
- Disable or remove vulnerable installations if no maintained fix is available.
- Warn administrators against clicking untrusted links while authenticated.
Validation and detection
- Confirm whether Contact Form 7 Style is installed on each WordPress site.
- Flag versions up to and including 3.2 for remediation review.
- Review template history for unexpected quick-edit changes.
- Verify remediated code includes proper nonce validation for the affected save path.
- Document any remaining exception with owner and compensating controls.
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-352: 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-2021-4390 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
- Medium
- CVSS
- 4.3 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N
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:R/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N2.81.4Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
4.3MediumVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/2972cdaf-2d0a-4b55-b4f5-ccf01ff5352c?source=cveCVE reference
- https://blog.nintechnet.com/25-wordpress-plugins-vulnerable-to-csrf-attacks/CVE reference
- https://blog.nintechnet.com/more-wordpress-plugins-and-themes-vulnerable-to-csrf-attacks/CVE reference
- https://blog.nintechnet.com/multiple-wordpress-plugins-fixed-csrf-vulnerabilities-part-3/CVE reference
- https://blog.nintechnet.com/multiple-wordpress-plugins-fixed-csrf-vulnerabilities-part-2/CVE reference
- https://blog.nintechnet.com/multiple-wordpress-plugins-fixed-csrf-vulnerabilities-part-1/CVE reference
- https://blog.nintechnet.com/multiple-wordpress-plugins-fixed-csrf-vulnerabilities-part-5/CVE reference
- https://blog.nintechnet.com/multiple-wordpress-plugins-fixed-csrf-vulnerabilities-part-4/CVE reference
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/contact-form-7-style/trunk/cf7-style-meta-box.php#L546CVE 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.
Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF)
Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.