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CVE-2021-24962· NVD / CVE Program· CNA WPScan

WordPress File Upload < 4.16.3 - Contributor+ Path Traversal to RCE

The WordPress File Upload Free and Pro WordPress plugins before 4.16.3 allow users with a role as low as Contributor to perform path traversal via a shortcode argument, which can then be used to upload a PHP code disguised as an image inside the auto-loaded directory of the plugin, resulting in arbitrary code execution.

HighCVSS 8.8 · v3.1—No exploit No fix recorded
Published
Mar 28, 2022
Updated
Jun 16, 2026
EPSS
2.8% · 86th percentile
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Report tools

JSON

Action score

36

Monitor

Low priority for now.

CVSS
35 / 40 · 8.8 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
1 / 30 · 2.8%

Noroxi analysis

No Noroxi analysis for this record yet

We don't hand-write analysis for the hundreds of thousands of vulnerabilities in the database; that wouldn't be honest. For notable, high-impact vulnerabilities our team writes the mechanism, detection and remediation steps.

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Affected systems

VendorProduct
iptanuswordpress file upload
iptanuswordpress file upload pro

Affected versions

NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.

  • iptanus wordpress file uploadbefore 4.16.3
  • iptanus wordpress file upload probefore 4.16.3

Versions reported by the vendor

Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (WPScan). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.

  • Unknown WordPress File Upload

    • 4.16.3 and later · before 4.16.3affected

  • Unknown WordPress File Upload Pro

    • 4.16.3 and later · before 4.16.3affected

Same product

iptanus: all records

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

  • CVE-2024-9047WordPress File Upload <= 4.24.11 - Unauthenticated Path Traversal to Arbitrary File Read and Deletion in wfu_file_downloader.php
    67This week
  • CVE-2020-10564An issue was discovered in the File Upload plugin before 4.13.0 for WordPress.
    42Plan
  • CVE-2024-11613WordPress File Upload <= 4.24.15 - Unauthenticated Remote Code Execution, Arbitrary File Read, and Arbitrary File Deletion
    40Plan
  • CVE-2024-11635WordPress File Upload <= 4.24.12 - Unuathenticated Remote Code Execution
    39Monitor
  • CVE-2024-9939WordPress File Upload <= 4.24.13 - Unauthenticated Path Traversal to Arbitrary File Read in wfu_file_downloader.php
    30Monitor
  • CVE-2015-9340The wp-file-upload plugin before 3.0.0 for WordPress has insufficient restrictions on upload of php, js, pht, php3, php4, php5, phtml, htm,
    30Monitor

Remediation

Which version to upgrade to

Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.

No fix version is recorded for this entry. Check the references for vendor advisories.

Exploit status

No known public exploit

No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.

Research context

For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.

Timeline

From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.

No dated events beyond publication.

EPSS, last 120 days

FIRST EPSS daily score; only changes of 0.01 or more are recorded (step chart).

Patch and commit links

Commit, PR and diff links among the references. A starting point for patch-diffing and variant hunting; fixes, not exploits.

Credits

All researchers

Finders, reporters and analysts named in the CNA record. Click a name for that researcher’s other records.

Variant candidates

Same product, same weakness class, within 18 months. If the patch missed the root cause, the sibling bug is here.

No nightly-computed relations.

Chain candidates

An authentication bypass and a privilege-requiring bug in the same product, published close together: combined they may become an unauthenticated path.

—

Bug bounty scope

No known public program.

Source: bounty-targets-data (public HackerOne, Bugcrowd, Intigriti, YesWeHack listings).

Technical details

Attack conditions

  • Anyone who can reach it over the internet can trigger it.
  • A low-privileged account is enough.
  • No user action is required.
  • No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.

If successful

Confidentiality
high · data can be read
Integrity
high · data or configuration can be modified
Availability
high · the service can be disrupted
Attack vector
Network
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality impact
High
Integrity impact
High
Availability impact
High

Weakness class (CWE)

CWE-22 · Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

nvd-primary

Root cause

A user-supplied file name is joined with the allowed directory, but the result is never checked to confirm it is still inside that directory.

The bug in code

The whole CWE-22 class

A representative example of this vulnerability class. Not the vendor's source code; it shows the faulty pattern and its fix.

Vulnerable

ts
const file = path.join(ROOT, req.query.name);res.sendFile(file);

Fixed

ts
const file = path.resolve(ROOT, req.query.name);if (!file.startsWith(ROOT + path.sep)) {  return res.sendStatus(400);}res.sendFile(file);

Attack context

MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.

ATT&CK techniques

—

Change log

No changes recorded on tracked fields yet. Score, KEV, exploit maturity and fix status changes appear here.

References

Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.

All records