Software License ManagerWordPress extension · Tipsandtricks Hq
CVE-2021-24560
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedThe Software License Manager WordPress plugin before 4.4.8 does not sanitise or escape the edit_record parameter before outputting it back in the page in the admin dashboard, leading to a Reflected Cross-Site Scripting issue
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceThe Software License Manager WordPress plugin before version 4.4.8 fails to sanitise or escape the edit_record parameter before outputting it back in the admin dashboard page, creating a reflected Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability. An attacker could craft a malicious URL containing JavaScript in the edit_record parameter that would execute in the context of an authenticated administrator's browser.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data
Software License ManagerWordPress extension
< 4.4.8CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- Required
- Scope
- Changed
- Confidentiality
- Low
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Locate the installed plugin versionIn WordPress admin, go to Plugins > Installed Plugins > Software License Manager and read the Version number. Alternatively, check the plugin header in wp-content/plugins/software-license-manager/readme.txt or the main plugin PHP file for the 'Version' tag.Affected if The version listed is below 4.4.8 (e.g., 4.4.7, 4.4.6, etc.) or the version cannot be determined (plugin may be a custom/unpacked variant).
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Confirm the vulnerable edit_record parameter existsIdentify the admin page that handles license record editing. In the plugin directory, search for the PHP file that processes the 'edit_record' GET or POST parameter (typically found in admin menu page files).Affected if The code retrieves the edit_record parameter without sanitisation or escaping before outputting it, as seen in calls like echo $_GET['edit_record'] or similar unsanitised output.
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Inspect HTTP access logs for suspicious requestsReview your web server access logs (Apache access_log, Nginx access.log, or WAF logs) for GET requests to wp-admin/admin.php with the edit_record parameter containing HTML/JavaScript (e.g., edit_record=<script>...).Affected if Logs contain requests with edit_record values containing script tags, img onerror, or other XSS payloads.
A user is affected if the Software License Manager plugin version is below 4.4.8 AND the edit_record parameter is processed and reflected in admin pages without escaping.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
dbcve · scoped4.4.8
Update the Software License Manager plugin to version 4.4.8 or later, which includes proper output escaping for the edit_record parameter.
4.4.8
- Log in to the WordPress admin dashboard
- Navigate to the 'Plugins' section
- Locate the 'Software License Manager' plugin in the installed plugins list
- Check if an update is available for the plugin
- If an update is available, click 'Update Now' to upgrade to version 4.4.8 or later
- Alternatively, navigate to 'Dashboard' > 'Updates' and select the Software License Manager plugin for update
- After updating, verify the plugin version is 4.4.8 or higher by viewing the installed plugins list
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in Software License Manager
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing1.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,200.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-24560 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2021-24560 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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