CVE-2021-24962 | WordPress File Upload < 4.16.3 - Contributor+ Path Traversal to RCE

Exp

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.

Published: 2022-03-28 Last update: 2024-11-21 Assigner: [email protected] Source: [email protected]
NVD Status：Modified，CVE State: published
View at NVD, CVE.org, EUVD

CVE-2021-24962 is rated High Exploit Risk (75.6/100): CVSS High severity, with medium exploitation likelihood (EPSS 1.71%). 1 public exploit reference(s) are indexed (Exploit-DB). Public exploits are available—assess exposure, apply mitigations, and prioritize patching.

Risk is dynamic; we continuously reassess and refresh what is shown on this page as upstream context changes.

Public exploit references (Exploit-DB) for CVE-2021-24962

EDB-ID Source Kind Published Link
— nvd_ref exploit_tag Exploit-DB ↗

Exploit prediction scoring system (EPSS) score for CVE-2021-24962

EPSS lead: Daily EPSS estimates relative likelihood of exploitation; percentile ranks this CVE among scored vulnerabilities (higher = more severe relative rank).

# Date Old EPSS score New EPSS score Delta (New - Old)
1 2025-11-21 4.98% 1.71% -3.26%
2 2025-11-18 1.71% 4.98% +3.26%
3 2025-09-21 — 1.71% —

Full EPSS history (18 records total)

Common vulnerability scoring system (CVSS) metrics for CVE-2021-24962

CVSS metrics for this CVE.

Base score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Impact Score source
8.8 3.1 HIGH
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H Click to expand
Attack vector (AV:N)
Could be attacked over the internet or any normal routed network—not just someone sitting at the machine.
Attack complexity (AC:L)
Once they can reach the bug, pulling it off is straightforward—no weird race conditions or rare setup.
Privileges required (PR:L)
A normal user session is enough; they don’t have to be admin.
User interaction (UI:N)
Nobody has to click “OK” or open a trap file; it can work without a victim helping.
Scope (S:U)
Damage stays in the same “trust bubble” as the broken component—no big spill into unrelated systems.
Confidentiality (C:H)
Serious risk that confidential data gets exposed in a big way.
Integrity (I:H)
They could widely tamper with or forge data—trust in the data is badly hurt.
Availability (A:H)
Could take the service down hard or make it unusable for people who depend on it.
 2.8 5.9 [email protected]
6.5 2.0 MEDIUM
AV:N/AC:L/Au:S/C:P/I:P/A:P Click to expand
Access vector (AV:N)
Can be exploited remotely over network reachability.
Access complexity (AC:L)
Exploitation conditions are straightforward and predictable.
Authentication (AU:S)
A single authentication is required.
Confidentiality impact (C:P)
Partial confidentiality impact.
Integrity impact (I:P)
Partial integrity impact.
Availability impact (A:P)
Partial availability impact.
 8.0 6.4 [email protected]

Weakness enumeration for CVE-2021-24962

Affected software / configurations for CVE-2021-24962

Vendor Product Version Raw CPE
iptanus wordpress_file_upload < 4.16.3 cpe:2.3:a:iptanus:wordpress_file_upload:*:*:*:*:*:wordpress:*:*
iptanus wordpress_file_upload_pro < 4.16.3 cpe:2.3:a:iptanus:wordpress_file_upload_pro:*:*:*:*:*:wordpress:*:*

References for CVE-2021-24962

cvelogic Threat Intelligence