dbcve.org
Deserialization of Untrusted DataWeakness · CWE-502

CVE-2024-2008

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-04-04
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
94/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
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 Modal Popup Box – Popup Builder, Show Offers And News in Popup plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to PHP Object Injection in all versions up to, and including, 1.5.2 via deserialization of untrusted input in the awl_modal_popup_box_shortcode function. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with contributor-level access and above, to inject a PHP Object. 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 plugin uses PHP's unserialize() on untrusted input within the awl_modal_popup_box_shortcode function, allowing authenticated contributors+ to inject PHP objects. When a POP (Property Oriented Programming) chain exists elsewhere in the WordPress environment (through other plugins or themes), attackers can achieve arbitrary file deletion, data exfiltration, or remote code execution.

MitigationUpdate to the latest version of the plugin once available, or remove the vulnerable plugin if unused. Audit the WordPress environment for other plugins/themes that could provide a POP chain.

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
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/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. Identify the vulnerable plugin
    Search your WordPress installation for the awl_modal_popup_box_shortcode function in your plugins directory. Use grep or a file search: grep -r 'awl_modal_popup_box_shortcode' wp-content/plugins/
    Affected if The function exists in your installed plugins, indicating the vulnerable code is present
  2. Check your user role permissions
    Review which user roles exist in your WordPress and determine if any role at Contributor level or above has access. Go to Users > All Users in the WP admin to see existing roles.
    Affected if You have users with Contributor, Author, Editor, or Administrator roles who can access the vulnerable shortcode
  3. Verify the shortcode is active
    Check if the modal popup shortcode is published on any post or page. Search your database or use WP admin to list pages containing the shortcode [awl_modal_popup_box] or similar.
    Affected if The shortcode is published and accessible to authenticated users
  4. Audit for POP chain sources
    Review all other installed plugins and themes for known PHP object injection vulnerabilities or unsafe unserialize() usage. Check plugin versions against known CVEs.
    Affected if Other plugins or themes in your environment contain POP chain capabilities that could be chained with this vulnerability
  5. Confirm PHP version and settings
    Check your PHP version with php -v and review if unserialize() is allowed. Check phpinfo() or your php.ini for unserialize_settings.
    Affected if Your PHP version and unserialize configuration permit object injection attacks

You are affected if the awl_modal_popup_box_shortcode function exists in your environment AND authenticated Contributor+ users can access it AND a POP chain exists through other plugins or themes.

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 to the latest version of the plugin once available, or remove the vulnerable plugin if unused. Audit the WordPress environment for other plugins/themes that could provide a POP chain.

Recommended fix High confidence

1.5.3 or later

  1. Navigate to the WordPress admin dashboard
  2. Go to Plugins > Installed Plugins
  3. Locate 'Modal Popup Box – Popup Builder, Show Offers And News in Popup'
  4. Check if the current version is below 1.5.3
  5. If vulnerable, click 'Update Now' to upgrade to the latest version, or manually download version 1.5.3 or higher from the WordPress plugin repository

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

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
15.0 hours of engineering $2,690
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An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,304.

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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-2024-2008 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