dbcve.org
Missing AuthorizationWeakness · CWE-862

CVE-2024-13529

MEDIUM · 6.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-02-04
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
71/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
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
The SocialV - Social Network and Community BuddyPress Theme theme for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized access of data due to a missing capability check on the 'socialv_send_download_file' function in all versions up to, and including, 2.0.15. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Subscriber-level access and above, to download arbitrary files from the target system.

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 SocialV BuddyPress theme for WordPress contains a broken access control vulnerability in the 'socialv_send_download_file' function. This function lacks a capability check, allowing any authenticated user with Subscriber-level permissions or higher to download arbitrary files from the server by specifying file paths.

MitigationUpdate the SocialV theme to version 2.0.16 or later which includes the missing capability check. If immediate update is not possible, add a current_user_can() check to verify the user has appropriate permissions before allowing file downloads.

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
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 checks

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

  1. Check installed SocialV theme version
    Navigate to WordPress admin > Appearance > Themes and locate the SocialV theme. Note the displayed version number, or check the style.css file in the theme directory for the 'Version:' header. Compare this to version 2.0.16.
    Affected if The installed version is below 2.0.16
  2. Locate the vulnerable function in theme files
    Using a file manager or grep search, look for the function named 'socialv_send_download_file' in the theme directory (typically wp-content/themes/socialv/). Check if this function exists in any PHP file.
    Affected if The function 'socialv_send_download_file' exists in the theme files
  3. Verify the function lacks capability checks
    Open the file containing 'socialv_send_download_file' and examine the function code. Look for the absence of current_user_can() or similar permission checks before allowing file downloads.
    Affected if The function contains no current_user_can() or role verification before processing download requests
  4. Confirm the download endpoint is accessible
    Check if there is a hook or action registering the function (such as add_action or add_shortcode) that makes it publicly accessible. Look for wp_ajax or wp_ajax_nopriv hooks to determine if unauthenticated or low-privilege users can trigger it.
    Affected if The function is hooked to an action accessible to Subscriber-level users without additional verification
  5. Test with a subscriber-level account
    If you have a test WordPress site, create a user with the Subscriber role and attempt to access the download functionality by crafting a request to the endpoint (if identifiable). Observe if arbitrary file retrieval is possible.
    Affected if A user with only Subscriber role can download files outside the intended directory

You are affected if the SocialV theme version is below 2.0.16 AND the socialv_send_download_file function exists with no capability check, allowing any authenticated user to download arbitrary 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

Update the SocialV theme to version 2.0.16 or later which includes the missing capability check. If immediate update is not possible, add a current_user_can() check to verify the user has appropriate permissions before allowing file downloads.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Latest version available on ThemeForest or Iqonic Design (newer than 2.0.15)

  1. 1. Check the current version of the SocialV theme installed on your WordPress site.
  2. 2. Navigate to Appearance > Themes in the WordPress admin dashboard to verify the installed version.
  3. 3. Download the latest version of the SocialV theme from the official source (ThemeForest or Iqonic Design).
  4. 4. Before updating, backup your entire WordPress site including database and theme files.
  5. 5. Update the SocialV theme to the latest available version through WordPress admin (Appearance > Themes > Add New > Upload) or via FTP.
  6. 6. Verify the update was successful and test that the socialv_send_download_file function now properly checks user capabilities.
Caveat Theme updates may override custom modifications; review any custom CSS/child theme changes after upgrade

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

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation3.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
10.0 hours of engineering $1,800
Get help mitigating

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,880.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2024-13529 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

Get it on GitHub Scan in the browser

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-2024-13529 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

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