dbcve.org
Missing AuthorizationWeakness · CWE-862

CVE-2024-34438

MEDIUM · 5.3 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-02-20
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
62/100
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
Missing Authorization vulnerability in Anssi Laitila Shared Files shared-files.This issue affects Shared Files: from n/a through <= 1.7.19.

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

Missing Authorization vulnerability in the Shared Files WordPress plugin allows unauthorized users to access sensitive functionality due to missing capability checks on certain actions. The issue affects versions up to and including 1.7.19.

MitigationUpdate to the latest patched version of Shared Files plugin when available, or add proper WordPress capability checks (current_user_can()) and nonce verification to all sensitive AJAX actions and admin pages.

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
None
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/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. Confirm Shared Files plugin is installed
    In WordPress admin, go to Plugins > Installed Plugins and look for 'Shared Files' in the list. Note the version number displayed next to the plugin name.
    Affected if The plugin is installed and the version is 1.7.19 or lower (the affected version range)
  2. Verify the plugin is active
    In WordPress admin, go to Plugins > Installed Plugins and check if Shared Files shows as 'Active' (not just installed).
    Affected if The plugin is active - only active plugins can be exploited
  3. Identify exposed sensitive AJAX actions
    Inspect the plugin's PHP files (typically in wp-content/plugins/shared-files/) for AJAX handlers registered with add_action('wp_ajax_...') or add_action('wp_ajax_nopriv_...'). Look for actions that perform sensitive operations (file downloads, user data access, settings changes) without calling current_user_can() or a capability check first.
    Affected if Sensitive AJAX actions are present and accessible without capability verification (especially wp_ajax_nopriv_ actions)
  4. Check admin page access controls
    Review the plugin's admin menu registration (add_menu_page, add_submenu_page) and the corresponding page handler functions. Look for whether these pages verify user capabilities using current_user_can() before displaying sensitive information or allowing configuration changes.
    Affected if Admin pages or their handlers lack capability checks and are accessible to low-privilege users

You are affected if the Shared Files plugin version is 1.7.19 or lower and the plugin is active, with sensitive AJAX actions or admin pages accessible without proper WordPress capability verification.

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 patched version of Shared Files plugin when available, or add proper WordPress capability checks (current_user_can()) and nonce verification to all sensitive AJAX actions and admin pages.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Update to the latest version of Shared Files plugin (version greater than 1.7.19)

  1. 1. Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard
  2. 2. Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins
  3. 3. Find the 'Shared Files' plugin by Anssi Laitila
  4. 4. If an update is available, click 'Update Now' to install the latest version that includes the security fix
  5. 5. Verify the update was successful by checking the plugin version after updating
  6. 6. Test that the plugin functionality works as expected after the update

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

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
10.0 hours of engineering $1,750
Get help mitigating

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,800.

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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-2024-34438 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