RecentlyWordPress extension · Recently Project
CVE-2021-4382
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 Recently plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to arbitrary file uploads due to missing file type validation in the fetch_external_image() function in versions up to, and including, 3.0.4. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers to upload arbitrary files on the affected site's server which may make remote code execution possible.
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 Recently WordPress plugin has an arbitrary file upload vulnerability in the fetch_external_image() function due to missing file type validation, allowing authenticated users to upload arbitrary files to the server, potentially leading to remote code execution.
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
RecentlyWordPress extension
< 3.0.5CVSS 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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Confirm Recently plugin is installedNavigate to WordPress admin dashboard > Plugins section and look for 'Recently' or 'Recently Project Recently' in the list of installed pluginsAffected if The plugin appears in the installed plugins list
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Identify the installed versionIn the Plugins list, click on 'Recently' to view plugin details, or check the plugin's main PHP file (recently.php) for the 'Version' header comment in the plugin metadataAffected if The displayed version number is lower than 3.0.5 (e.g., 3.0.4, 3.0.3, etc.)
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Verify the vulnerable function existsAccess the WordPress site via FTP or file manager, locate wp-content/plugins/recently/recently.php or includes/class-recently.php, and search for the function fetch_external_image()Affected if The function fetch_external_image() exists in the plugin code, indicating the vulnerable code path is present
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Confirm authentication method availabilityDetermine if user registration is enabled or if there are existing user accounts with at least Contributor-level access by checking Users > All Users in WordPress adminAffected if Non-admin user accounts exist or user registration is open, meaning authenticated users could potentially trigger the vulnerable function
You are affected if the Recently plugin version is below 3.0.5 and the fetch_external_image() function is present in your installation, making arbitrary file upload possible for any authenticated user.
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 · scoped3.0.5
Update the Recently plugin to version 3.0.5 or later which includes proper file type validation, or remove the plugin if not needed.
Recently plugin version 3.0.5 or later
- Log in to the WordPress admin dashboard
- Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins
- Find the 'Recently' plugin in the list
- If an update is available, click 'Update Now' to update to the latest version
- Alternatively, navigate to Dashboard > Updates and update all plugins
- Verify the plugin is updated to version 3.0.5 or later by checking the Plugins page
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in Recently
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation2.0 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 $1,696.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2021-4382 — 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-2021-4382 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