dbcve.org
Code InjectionWeakness · CWE-94

CVE-2024-11977

HIGH · 7.3 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-12-21
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
82/100
Remediation priority · High
Remotely reachable No privileges 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
The The kk Star Ratings – Rate Post & Collect User Feedbacks plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to arbitrary shortcode execution in all versions up to, and including, 5.4.10. This is due to the software allowing users to execute an action that does not properly validate a value before running do_shortcode. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary shortcodes. Note: This vulnerability was only partially patched in version 5.4.10.1, and fully patched in 5.4.10.2

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

The kk Star Ratings WordPress plugin fails to properly validate a value before passing it to do_shortcode(), allowing unauthenticated attackers to inject and execute arbitrary shortcodes. Since shortcodes can trigger various plugin/theme functions including potential PHP execution, this enables severe attacks such as content injection, data exfiltration, or privilege escalation.

MitigationUpdate the kk Star Ratings plugin to version 5.4.10.2 or later to obtain the complete patch. Until then, consider disabling the plugin or implementing WAF rules to block shortcode-related parameter tampering.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

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
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
Low
Availability
Low

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

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. Verify kk Star Ratings plugin is installed
    Check the WordPress plugins directory (wp-content/plugins/) for a folder named 'kk-star-ratings', or list installed plugins via wp-admin > Plugins
    Affected if The kk Star Ratings folder exists in the plugins directory or appears in the WordPress plugin list
  2. Identify installed plugin version
    Open the main plugin file (typically kk-star-ratings.php) in the plugin folder and locate the 'Version:' header in the file comments, or view the version in wp-admin > Plugins > kk Star Ratings
    Affected if A version number is displayed for the plugin
  3. Compare version to patched release
    Compare the identified version against 5.4.10.2 - versions below this are vulnerable
    Affected if The installed version is lower than 5.4.10.2 (e.g., 5.4.10, 5.4.9, 5.4, or any earlier version)
  4. Confirm shortcode is accessible
    Check if the [kkstar] or [kk-star-ratings] shortcode is usable on any public post or page, or inspect the plugin to verify it registers a shortcode accessible to unauthenticated users
    Affected if The shortcode is registered and can be invoked by visitors without authentication

The environment is affected if kk Star Ratings plugin is installed with a version lower than 5.4.10.2 and the shortcode functionality is accessible to unauthenticated users.

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
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Update the kk Star Ratings plugin to version 5.4.10.2 or later to obtain the complete patch. Until then, consider disabling the plugin or implementing WAF rules to block shortcode-related parameter tampering.

Recommended fix High confidence

kk Star Ratings plugin version 5.4.10.2

  1. Backup your WordPress site and database before making any changes
  2. Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins in the WordPress admin dashboard
  3. Locate the kk Star Ratings plugin
  4. If an update is available, click 'Update Now' to update to version 5.4.10.2 or later
  5. Alternatively, download version 5.4.10.2 from the WordPress plugin repository and upload manually via Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin
  6. After updating, verify the plugin version shows 5.4.10.2 or higher in the installed plugins list
  7. Test that the plugin functionality works correctly on your site

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

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
15.0 hours of engineering $2,560
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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-2024-11977 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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