dbcve.org
Code InjectionWeakness · CWE-94

CVE-2024-13557

MEDIUM · 6.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-03-29
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
74/100
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 Shortcodes by United Themes plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to arbitrary shortcode execution in all versions up to, and including, 5.1.6. 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.

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 Shortcodes by United Themes WordPress plugin (versions up to 5.1.6) is vulnerable to arbitrary shortcode execution due to improper validation of user input before passing it to WordPress's do_shortcode function. Unauthenticated attackers can exploit this to execute any registered shortcode on the site, potentially leading to data exposure or privilege escalation depending on what shortcodes are registered.

MitigationUpdate the plugin to version 5.1.7 or later immediately. If an update is unavailable, consider removing the plugin or implementing web application firewall rules to block requests attempting to exploit shortcode execution endpoints.

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
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/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. Verify the plugin is installed
    Navigate to WordPress admin > Plugins and look for 'Shortcodes by United Themes' or check the plugins directory for the 'shortcodes-ut' or similar United Themes plugin folder
    Affected if The plugin is present in the WordPress installation
  2. Determine the installed plugin version
    In WordPress admin > Plugins, click on the plugin details link for Shortcodes by United Themes and read the version number displayed
    Affected if The version is 5.1.6 or below (any version up to and including 5.1.6)
  3. Check if the vulnerable endpoint is reachable
    Identify the plugin's shortcode execution endpoint (typically via query parameters like 'ut_shortcode' or similar). Attempt a test request without authentication to see if shortcode execution occurs. Review plugin source code for do_shortcode calls that accept user input without sanitization.
    Affected if The endpoint responds and processes shortcode tags without requiring authentication
  4. Identify registered shortcodes that could be exploited
    Review the plugin documentation or source code to list all registered shortcodes. Common risky shortcodes may include those that display content, execute queries, or interface with third-party services
    Affected if Any potentially sensitive or privileged shortcodes are registered and accessible via the vulnerable endpoint

The environment is affected if the Shortcodes by United Themes plugin is installed and the version is 5.1.6 or lower, and the plugin exposes an endpoint that allows unauthenticated shortcode execution.

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 plugin to version 5.1.7 or later immediately. If an update is unavailable, consider removing the plugin or implementing web application firewall rules to block requests attempting to exploit shortcode execution endpoints.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Version 5.1.7 or later (the first version after 5.1.6 that contains the fix)

  1. Log in to the WordPress admin dashboard
  2. Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins
  3. Locate the 'Shortcodes by United Themes' plugin
  4. Check the current version - if it is 5.1.6 or earlier, an update is needed
  5. If an update is available, click 'Update Now' to install the latest version
  6. Verify the update completed successfully by confirming the new version number

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

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
7.0 hours of engineering $1,240
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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-2024-13557 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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