dbcve.org
Code InjectionWeakness · CWE-94

CVE-2024-4605

HIGH · 8.8 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 →
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 Breakdance plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Remote Code Execution in all versions up to, and including, 1.7.1 via post meta data. This is due to the plugin storing custom data in metadata without an underscore prefix. This makes it possible for lower privileged users, such as contributors, to edit this data via UI. As a result they can escalate their privileges or execute arbitrary 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 Breakdance WordPress plugin versions up to 1.7.1 stores custom data in post metadata without an underscore prefix, making it publicly accessible and editable. This allows lower-privileged users like contributors to modify this metadata via the WordPress UI, enabling privilege escalation to admin levels or arbitrary PHP code execution on the server.

MitigationUpdate Breakdance plugin to version 1.7.2 or later which properly prefixes metadata keys. If an update is unavailable, disable the plugin immediately and review user permissions.

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. Verify Breakdance plugin version
    Navigate to WordPress admin > Plugins and locate Breakdance, or check the version in the plugin file header at /wp-content/plugins/breakdance/breakdance.php
    Affected if The installed version is 1.7.1 or earlier (any version up to and including 1.7.1)
  2. Confirm Breakdance plugin is active
    Check the plugin status in WordPress admin > Plugins. The vulnerability only applies when the plugin is active.
    Affected if Breakdance is installed and active on the site
  3. Inspect post metadata for Breakdance data without underscore prefix
    Query the wp_postmeta table (via phpMyAdmin or WP CLI: wp db query "SELECT * FROM wp_postmeta WHERE meta_key NOT LIKE '_%' AND meta_key LIKE '%breakdance%'") for metadata keys created by Breakdance that lack an underscore prefix
    Affected if Breakdance-created metadata exists in wp_postmeta with keys that do NOT start with an underscore character
  4. Check for lower-privileged user accounts
    Review user roles in WordPress admin > Users. Specifically identify users with Contributor, Author, or Editor roles who could potentially exploit this flaw.
    Affected if There are users with roles below Administrator (such as Contributor, Author, or Editor) who have access to edit posts
  5. Audit recent post metadata changes
    Review wp_postmeta change logs or server access logs for unexpected modifications to Breakdance-related metadata, or check recent posts created/edited by non-admin users.
    Affected if Non-administrator users have modified post metadata that appears related to Breakdance custom data

A site is affected if Breakdance plugin version 1.7.1 or earlier is active, Breakdance stores custom post metadata without underscore prefixes, and lower-privileged users exist who could modify that metadata.

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 Breakdance plugin to version 1.7.2 or later which properly prefixes metadata keys. If an update is unavailable, disable the plugin immediately and review user permissions.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Version 1.7.2 or later (verify current stable release from official Breakdance sources)

  1. Check the current installed version of the Breakdance plugin in WordPress admin under Plugins > Installed Plugins
  2. Visit the official Breakdance website or WordPress plugin repository to verify if version 1.7.2 or later is available
  3. If a newer version (1.7.2 or higher) is available, update the plugin via WordPress admin > Plugins > Update Now
  4. After updating, verify the fix by confirming post meta data handling - metadata with custom data should now use an underscore prefix to hide it from the UI
  5. Ensure user role permissions are properly configured - contributors should not have ability to edit post meta that could lead to code execution
Caveat Review plugin settings and custom elements after upgrade as minor compatibility adjustments may be needed

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

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing5.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
17.0 hours of engineering $2,970
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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-2024-4605 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