dbcve.org
Information ExposureWeakness · CWE-200

CVE-2024-13498

MEDIUM · 5.3 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-03-12
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
62/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
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 NEX-Forms – Ultimate Form Builder – Contact forms and much more plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Sensitive Information Exposure in all versions up to, and including, 8.8.1 via file uploads due to insufficient directory listing prevention and lack of randomization of file names. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to extract sensitive data including files uploaded via a form.

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 · moderate confidence

The NEX-Forms WordPress plugin up to version 8.8.1 allows unauthenticated access to uploaded files due to two issues: directory listing is not prevented, and filenames are not randomized. This enables attackers to directly access sensitive form submissions including uploaded documents, images, or other data.

MitigationDisable directory listing on upload directories via server configuration (e.g., .htaccess) and implement random filename generation for uploads to prevent predictable file paths.

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
None
Availability
None

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

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

  1. Identify NEX-Forms plugin installation and version
    Access WordPress admin panel, navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins, locate NEX-Forms and note the version number displayed
    Affected if NEX-Forms plugin is installed and version is 8.8.1 or lower
  2. Locate NEX-Forms upload directory
    Check WordPress media library settings or inspect plugin configuration files for the upload path; common paths include /wp-content/uploads/nex-forms/ or similar
    Affected if Upload directory exists and is web-accessible
  3. Test for directory listing on upload directory
    Navigate directly to the suspected NEX-Forms upload directory URL in a browser (e.g., yoursite.com/wp-content/uploads/nex-forms/) and observe if a directory listing is displayed
    Affected if Directory listing is enabled and shows file contents without requiring authentication
  4. Verify filename randomness
    Submit a test form with a file upload via NEX-Forms, then check the upload directory to see if the uploaded file uses a predictable name (original filename) or a randomized name (hash or random string)
    Affected if Filenames retain their original submitted form or use predictable naming patterns (e.g., incremental numbers, timestamps) rather than cryptographically random strings
  5. Confirm unauthenticated file access
    Copy a known uploaded filename from the directory listing and attempt to access it directly via URL in an incognito browser window without logging in
    Affected if Files are accessible without authentication

A user is affected if the NEX-Forms plugin version is 8.8.1 or lower AND directory listing is enabled on the upload directory OR filenames are not randomized, allowing unauthorized access to form submission files.

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

Disable directory listing on upload directories via server configuration (e.g., .htaccess) and implement random filename generation for uploads to prevent predictable file paths.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Version 8.8.2 or later

  1. Log in to the WordPress admin dashboard
  2. Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins
  3. Locate the NEX-Forms plugin
  4. Check if an update is available and update to the latest version (version 8.8.2 or later)
  5. If no update is shown in WordPress, manually download the latest version from the official WordPress plugin repository at plugins.trac.wordpress.org and upload/install it

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

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
14.0 hours of engineering $2,490
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An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,984.

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-2024-13498 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