dbcve.org
Deserialization of Untrusted DataWeakness · CWE-502

CVE-2024-3020

HIGH · 7.2 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-04-10
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
78/100
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 plugin is vulnerable to PHP Object Injection in versions up to and including, 2.6.3 via deserialization of untrusted input in the import function via the 'shortcode' parameter. This allows authenticated attackers, with administrator-level access 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

This is a PHP Object Injection vulnerability in a WordPress plugin's import function. The 'shortcode' parameter accepts untrusted input that gets deserialized without proper sanitization, allowing an authenticated administrator to inject PHP objects. When a POP (Property Oriented Programming) chain exists via another plugin or theme, attackers can achieve arbitrary file deletion, data exfiltration, or remote code execution.

MitigationUpdate the plugin to the latest version which should replace unsafe deserialization with secure methods like json_decode and implement proper input validation. Until patched, limit administrator-level access and audit for vulnerable POP chains in other plugins/themes.

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

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/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 WordPress plugin with vulnerable import functionality
    Review installed plugins and check if any have an import function that accepts a 'shortcode' parameter. Search plugin files for unserialize() calls on the shortcode parameter.
    Affected if The site uses a plugin with an import feature that deserializes the shortcode parameter without validation.
  2. Check the installed plugin version
    Locate the plugin in wp-content/plugins/ and check its main PHP file for the Version header, or view the plugin details in the WordPress admin dashboard.
    Affected if The installed version matches the affected range (if known) or is older than the patched version.
  3. Verify the import function is accessible
    Check if the import functionality is accessible to administrator-level users by reviewing the capability checks in the import function's code.
    Affected if Administrators can access the import function without additional security restrictions.
  4. Inspect the shortcode parameter handling
    Examine the PHP code handling the shortcode parameter in the import function. Look for unserialize() or similar functions operating directly on user input.
    Affected if The shortcode parameter is passed directly to unserialize() without prior sanitization or validation.
  5. Audit for POP chains in other plugins and themes
    Review all other installed plugins and the active theme for PHP magic methods (__wakeup, __destruct, __toString, __get) that could form a POP chain. Check for file operations, database queries, or network calls within these methods.
    Affected if A POP chain exists in another plugin or theme that could be leveraged to achieve code execution or file operations.

A user is affected if their WordPress site has a plugin with vulnerable import functionality where the shortcode parameter is deserialized without sanitization, and an administrator can access that import function.

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.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Update the plugin to the latest version which should replace unsafe deserialization with secure methods like json_decode and implement proper input validation. Until patched, limit administrator-level access and audit for vulnerable POP chains in other plugins/themes.

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA4.0 h
20.0 hours of engineering $3,560
Get help mitigating

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $5,696.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2024-3020 — 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-2024-3020 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