dbcve.org
PHP File Inclusion (RFI/LFI)Weakness · CWE-98

CVE-2024-4441

HIGH · 8.1 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-05-14
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
90/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
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
The XML Sitemap & Google News plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Local File Inclusion in all versions up to, and including, 5.4.8 via the 'feed' parameter. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to include and execute arbitrary files on the server, allowing the execution of any PHP code in those files. This can be used to bypass access controls, obtain sensitive data, or achieve code execution in cases where images and other “safe” file types can be uploaded and included.

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 XML Sitemap & Google News WordPress plugin up to version 5.4.8 is vulnerable to unauthenticated Local File Inclusion via the 'feed' parameter. Attackers can include arbitrary files from the server filesystem and execute contained PHP code, enabling complete bypass of access controls and remote code execution.

MitigationUpdate the plugin to version 5.4.9 or later immediately. If patching is delayed, consider disabling the plugin or deploying WAF rules to block directory traversal patterns in the 'feed' parameter.

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

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/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. Locate the XML Sitemap & Google News plugin installation
    Inspect the WordPress plugins directory at /wp-content/plugins/ for a folder named 'xml-sitemap-feed' or similar, or query the wp_options table for 'active_plugins' to confirm the plugin is enabled.
    Affected if The plugin folder exists in the WordPress plugins directory and the plugin is active.
  2. Determine the installed plugin version
    Open the main plugin PHP file (typically xml-sitemap-feed.php or similar in the plugin folder) and locate the 'Version' header in the plugin comment block, or query the wp_options table for the option_name containing the plugin version.
    Affected if The version number found is 5.4.8 or lower.
  3. Verify the vulnerable endpoint is accessible
    Check if the WordPress site responds to the feed parameter by accessing a URL pattern such as /?feed=1 or similar endpoints the plugin registers. The vulnerability lies in the 'feed' parameter handling.
    Affected if The plugin serves a feed and accepts a 'feed' parameter without authentication.
  4. Inspect server access logs for exploitation attempts
    Review web server access logs (Apache, Nginx) for requests containing the 'feed' parameter with directory traversal patterns such as '../../../../', or look for requests to known vulnerable plugin endpoints.
    Affected if Log entries show unauthenticated requests with 'feed' parameter containing path traversal sequences.

The environment is affected if the XML Sitemap & Google News plugin version 5.4.8 or lower is installed, active, and the 'feed' parameter endpoint is accessible without authentication.

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 the plugin to version 5.4.9 or later immediately. If patching is delayed, consider disabling the plugin or deploying WAF rules to block directory traversal patterns in the 'feed' parameter.

Recommended fix High confidence

XML Sitemap & Google News version 5.4.9 or latest available version

  1. Log in to the WordPress admin dashboard
  2. Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins
  3. Locate the 'XML Sitemap & Google News' plugin
  4. Click 'Update Now' if an update is available, or manually update to version 5.4.9 or later
  5. Verify the update was successful by checking the plugin version in the plugins list
  6. Review the site for any signs of compromise (unexpected new files, modified PHP files, etc.)

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

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
11.0 hours of engineering $1,920
Get help mitigating

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,072.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2024-4441 — 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-2024-4441 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