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CVE-2021-44967· NVD / CVE Program· CNA mitre

A Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerabilty exists in LimeSurvey 5.2.4 via the upload and install plugins function, which could let a remote

A Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerabilty exists in LimeSurvey 5.2.4 via the upload and install plugins function, which could let a remote malicious user upload an arbitrary PHP code file. NOTE: the Supplier's position is that plugins intentionally can contain arbitrary PHP code, and can only be installed by a superadmin, and therefore the security model is not violated by this finding.

HighCVSS 8.8 · v3.1—Proof of concept No fix recorded
Published
Feb 24, 2022
Updated
Jun 17, 2026
EPSS
13.5% · 96th percentile
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Report tools

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Action score

39

Monitor

Low priority for now.

CVSS
35 / 40 · 8.8 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
4 / 30 · 13.5%

Affected systems

VendorProduct
limesurveylimesurvey

Affected versions

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

  • limesurvey limesurvey5.2.4

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

  • CVE-2020-11455LimeSurvey before 4.1.12+200324 contains a path traversal vulnerability in application/controllers/admin/LimeSurveyFileManager.php.
    68This week
  • CVE-2007-3632Multiple PHP remote file inclusion vulnerabilities in LimeSurvey (aka PHPSurveyor) 1.49RC2 allow remote attackers to execute arbitrary PHP c
    45Plan
  • CVE-2019-9960The downloadZip function in application/controllers/admin/export.php in LimeSurvey through 3.16.1+190225 allows a relative path.
    43Plan
  • CVE-2020-11456LimeSurvey before 4.1.12+200324 has stored XSS in application/views/admin/surveysgroups/surveySettings.php and application/models/SurveysGro
    42Plan
  • CVE-2019-16184A CSV injection vulnerability was found in Limesurvey before 3.17.14 that allows survey participants to inject commands via their survey res
    40Plan
  • CVE-2025-56422A deserialization vulnerability in LimeSurvey before v6.15.0+250623 allows a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code on the server.
    39Monitor

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

Proof of concept available

A public proof of concept or detection signature exists. Exploit knowledge is out there; don't delay patching.

Evidence

  • Proof-of-concept repository on GitHub ×4

Noroxi does not host or link to exploit code. Metasploit module names and Nuclei template ids are shown (names, not code); Exploit-DB entries and PoC repositories are given as counts only.

Public exploit evidence
SourceKindDate
Proof-of-concept repository on GitHubstars:62025-01-05
Proof-of-concept repository on GitHubstars:12025-02-17
Proof-of-concept repository on GitHubstars:12025-04-18
Proof-of-concept repository on GitHubstars:02026-05-23

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.

  1. Published
  2. First PoC+1046 d
  3. TodaySep 30, 2026+1679 d
EPSS, last 120 days+1% in 7 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.

No commit or PR link among the references.

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

No credits in the CNA record.

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

CVSS vector

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

nvd-primary

Attack context

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

Noroxi analysis

No Noroxi analysis for this record yet

We don't hand-write analysis for all 385,000+ vulnerabilities; that wouldn't be honest. For notable, high-impact vulnerabilities our team writes the mechanism, detection and remediation steps.

We use this product, ask for help

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.

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