dbcve.org
Download ManagerWordPress extension · W3eden

CVE-2021-34639

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2021-08-05
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 3.1.24 or later.
See remediation →
94/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable Zero-click

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 · unedited
Authenticated File Upload in WordPress Download Manager <= 3.1.24 allows authenticated (Author+) users to upload files with a double extension, e.g. "payload.php.png" which is executable in some configurations. 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 confidence

Authenticated users with Author+ privileges in WordPress Download Manager <=3.1.24 can upload files with double extensions (e.g., 'payload.php.png') that may execute as executable code when served by misconfigured web servers, allowing potential remote code execution.

MitigationUpdate WordPress Download Manager to version >3.1.24 and configure the web server to prevent execution of uploaded files with double extensions.

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
Affected:<= 3.1.24

CVSS 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
High
Availability
High

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

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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Confirm Download Manager plugin is installed
    Navigate to WordPress admin Dashboard > Plugins > Installed Plugins and look for 'Download Manager' or 'W3eden Download Manager' in the list of active plugins
    Affected if The plugin is not found in the installed plugins list, then this CVE does not apply
  2. Determine installed plugin version
    Click on the plugin name in the plugins list to view details, or inspect the main plugin file (typically wp-content/plugins/download-manager/readme.txt or the main PHP file) for the 'Version' header
    Affected if The displayed version is 3.1.24 or lower, indicating the vulnerable version is installed
  3. Verify Author+ user access exists
    In WordPress admin, go to Users > All Users and check if any users have the 'Author' role or higher (Editor, Administrator). Also verify the plugin's user role settings allow Author-level access to file upload functionality
    Affected if There are users with Author+ privileges who have access to the file upload features in Download Manager, making exploitation possible
  4. Check web server MIME type handling for double extensions
    Inspect web server configuration (Apache .htaccess or nginx config) for directives that might serve .php.png or similar double-extension files as PHP. Look for directives like 'AddType application/x-httpd-php' or 'application/php' or wildcard handlers
    Affected if The web server is configured to execute files with double extensions as PHP code (e.g., .php.png files being processed as PHP), which would allow uploaded malicious files to execute

You are affected if Download Manager version 3.1.24 or lower is installed, Author+ users have upload access, and your web server is configured to execute double-extension files as PHP code.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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 · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 3.1.24
Interim mitigation

Update WordPress Download Manager to version >3.1.24 and configure the web server to prevent execution of uploaded files with double extensions.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Download Manager version 3.1.25 or later

  1. 1. Log in to the WordPress admin dashboard
  2. 2. Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins
  3. 3. Locate WordPress Download Manager in the plugin list
  4. 4. Check if an update is available for the Download Manager plugin
  5. 5. If an update is available, update to the latest version (version 3.1.25 or later)
  6. 6. Verify the update was successful by checking the plugin version
  7. 7. Test file upload functionality to ensure the plugin continues to work correctly after the update

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Download Manager Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation3.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
8.0 hours of engineering $1,420
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,272.

Scan for this in your stack

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2021-34639 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

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.

What belongs here
  • 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