Download ManagerWordPress extension · W3eden
CVE-2021-34638
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 · uneditedAuthenticated Directory Traversal in WordPress Download Manager <= 3.1.24 allows authenticated (Contributor+) users to obtain sensitive configuration file information, as well as allowing Author+ users to perform XSS attacks, by setting Download template to a file containing configuration information or an uploaded JavaScript with an image extension This issue affects: WordPress Download Manager version 3.1.24 and prior versions.
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 confidenceAuthenticated directory traversal vulnerability in WordPress Download Manager <= 3.1.24 allows users with Contributor+ permissions to read sensitive configuration files via manipulated template paths, while Author+ users can inject XSS by uploading JavaScript files with image extensions and setting them as download templates.
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
Download ManagerWordPress extension
<= 3.1.24CVSS 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
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/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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Identify the installed version of WordPress Download ManagerAccess your WordPress admin panel, navigate to Plugins, and locate W3eden Download Manager (or Download Manager). Note the version number displayed. Alternatively, check the plugin header in the main plugin PHP file.Affected if The installed version is 3.1.24 or lower (any version up to and including 3.1.24).
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Review user accounts with Contributor permissionsIn WordPress admin, go to Users and examine the role assigned to each account. Check if any users have the Contributor role.Affected if There is at least one user with Contributor role or higher (Author, Editor, Admin) who could potentially exploit the directory traversal vulnerability.
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Review user accounts with Author permissionsIn WordPress admin, go to Users and examine the role assigned to each account. Check if any users have the Author role.Affected if There is at least one user with Author role or higher who could potentially exploit the XSS injection via template uploads.
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Check template path configuration settingsNavigate to Download Manager settings or template configuration options in the WordPress admin panel. Look for fields that accept template file paths or allow template selection.Affected if The plugin exposes template path settings that can be manipulated to read arbitrary files (directory traversal) or set custom templates.
You are affected if your Download Manager version is 3.1.24 or lower AND you have users with Contributor or higher permissions who can access the template/path manipulation features.
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.
From vendor dataUpgrade WordPress Download Manager to version greater than 3.1.24 immediately. Until then, restrict or audit user permissions for Contributor and Author roles.
Fix this in Download Manager
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing2.0 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 $1,376.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-34638 — 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-2021-34638 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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A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.
- 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
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data