dbcve.org
PuzzlesWordPress extension · Themerex

CVE-2024-13769

MEDIUM · 5.4 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-02-12
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 4.2.5 or later.
See remediation →
58/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable

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 Puzzles | WP Magazine / Review with Store WordPress Theme + RTL theme for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting due to a missing capability check on the 'theme_options_ajax_post_action' AJAX action in all versions up to, and including, 4.2.4. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Subscriber-level access and above, to update the plugin's settings and inject malicious web scripts. The developer opted to remove the software from the repository, so an update is not available and it is recommended to find a replacement software.

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 Puzzles WordPress theme lacks a capability check on the 'theme_options_ajax_post_action' AJAX endpoint, allowing authenticated users with Subscriber-level permissions to modify theme settings and inject persistent malicious scripts.

MitigationReplace the unmaintained theme with a supported alternative and audit/cleanse any previously injected scripts from the database and content.

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
PuzzlesWordPress extension
Affected:< 4.2.5

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
Required
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
Low
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:R/S:C/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. Identify Puzzles theme installation
    Go to Appearance > Themes in WordPress admin and locate the Puzzles theme by Themerex. Note the installed version number displayed there.
    Affected if The theme is installed and the version shown is less than 4.2.5 or the version cannot be determined (indicating an unpatched older version).
  2. Check for vulnerable AJAX endpoint
    Inspect the theme files for the presence of 'theme_options_ajax_post_action' in the theme's functions or AJAX handler files. This is typically in the theme's includes or ajax folder. Search the theme directory for the string 'theme_options_ajax_post_action'.
    Affected if The string 'theme_options_ajax_post_action' exists in the theme's PHP files, indicating the vulnerable endpoint is present.
  3. Verify AJAX action is registered without capability check
    Examine the code where 'theme_options_ajax_post_action' is hooked to a WordPress action (typically via add_action). Look for a capability check such as 'current_user_can' or 'check_ajax_referer' before processing the request. If no capability check exists before processing theme options, the vulnerability is present.
    Affected if The AJAX action is registered without a preceding capability check that verifies the user has administrator-level permissions.
  4. Review theme settings for suspicious modifications
    Navigate to Theme Options in the WordPress admin panel (usually under Appearance > Theme Options or a dedicated Puzzles theme options page). Inspect fields that accept HTML or scripts, particularly header/footer custom code fields, for unfamiliar or malicious JavaScript content.
    Affected if Any theme option fields contain unknown JavaScript code, particularly in areas meant for custom CSS, header scripts, or footer content.

If the Puzzles theme version is below 4.2.5 AND the vulnerable AJAX endpoint exists without capability verification, the environment is affected by this CVE.

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
Upgrade available Upgrade to 4.2.5 or later
Fixed in 4.2.5
Interim mitigation

Replace the unmaintained theme with a supported alternative and audit/cleanse any previously injected scripts from the database and content.

Recommended fix High confidence
  1. Audit all WordPress installations using the Puzzles theme and identify the specific version in use
  2. Create a complete backup of the database and files for each affected site
  3. Research and select a replacement theme from the official WordPress theme repository or a trusted developer (e.g., Newspaper, Astra, GeneratePress, or other magazine/review themes)
  4. Install the replacement theme in a staging environment
  5. Migrate all critical content, customizer settings, and widgets from the Puzzles theme to the new theme
  6. Test the staging site thoroughly for functionality and layout issues
  7. Deploy the new theme to production after successful staging tests
  8. Remove and completely delete the Puzzles theme from all WordPress installations to prevent exploitation
Caveat The theme has been removed from the marketplace with no patch available; migration to an alternative theme is required

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

Fix this in Puzzles Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation6.0 h
  • Implementation12.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
27.0 hours of engineering $4,800
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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-2024-13769 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