dbcve.org
Deserialization of Untrusted DataWeakness · CWE-502

CVE-2024-1897

HIGH · 7.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-05-02
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
81/100
Remediation priority · High
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 Grid Gallery – Photo Image Grid Gallery plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to PHP Object Injection in all versions up to, and including, 1.4.3 via deserialization via shortcode of untrusted input from the awl_gg_settings_ meta value. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with contributor access and above, to inject a PHP Object. No POP chain is present in the vulnerable plugin. If a POP chain is present via an additional plugin or theme installed on the target system, it could allow the attacker to delete arbitrary files, retrieve sensitive data, or execute code.

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 Grid Gallery plugin for WordPress versions up to 1.4.3 is vulnerable to PHP Object Injection via deserialization of untrusted input from the awl_gg_settings_ meta value through a shortcode. Authenticated attackers with contributor-level access or higher can inject PHP objects. While no POP chain exists in the plugin itself, additional plugins or themes on the target system could provide one for arbitrary file deletion, data retrieval, or code execution.

MitigationUpgrade to version 1.4.3 or later. Audit for installed plugins/themes that could provide a POP chain for exploitation.

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

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

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. Confirm Grid Gallery plugin version
    Navigate to WordPress admin > Plugins > Installed Plugins > Grid Gallery. Note the version number displayed. Compare it to the affected range: versions up to and including 1.4.3 are vulnerable.
    Affected if The installed version is 1.4.3 or lower.
  2. Identify if vulnerable shortcode is in use
    Search WordPress posts, pages, and widgets for the [grid-gallery] shortcode or any awl_gg shortcode variants. This shortcode triggers the deserialization of the awl_gg_settings_ meta value.
    Affected if The shortcode [grid-gallery] or related awl_gg shortcode is present in any published content.
  3. Inspect post meta for awl_gg_settings_ data
    Query the wp_postmeta table for any meta_key containing 'awl_gg_settings_' using a database tool or WP_Query. This meta value is the input that gets deserialized unsafely.
    Affected if Any awl_gg_settings_ meta values exist in the database.
  4. Assess user access levels
    Review which user roles exist on the WordPress site. The vulnerability requires an authenticated user with contributor-level access or higher to exploit.
    Affected if There are users with contributor, author, editor, or administrator roles who could inject the malicious object.

A user is affected if they have Grid Gallery plugin version 1.4.3 or lower installed AND the shortcode is in use on the site, as the combination enables the unsafe deserialization of the awl_gg_settings_ meta value.

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

Upgrade to version 1.4.3 or later. Audit for installed plugins/themes that could provide a POP chain for exploitation.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Version higher than 1.4.3 (check wordpress.org for the latest stable release)

  1. 1. Navigate to the WordPress admin dashboard
  2. 2. Go to Plugins > Installed Plugins
  3. 3. Locate 'The Grid Gallery – Photo Image Grid Gallery' plugin
  4. 4. If an update is available, click 'Update Now' to install the latest version
  5. 5. Alternatively, download the latest version from wordpress.org/plugins and upload it manually
  6. 6. After updating, verify the plugin is working correctly on the site

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
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
8.0 hours of engineering $1,390
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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-2024-1897 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