Unrestricted File UploadWeakness · CWE-434

CVE-2024-52404

CRITICAL · 9.9 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-11-16
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
100/100
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
Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type vulnerability in bigfiveagency CF7 Reply Manager cf7-reply-manager.This issue affects CF7 Reply Manager: from n/a through <= 1.2.3.

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

The CF7 Reply Manager WordPress plugin has an unrestricted file upload vulnerability allowing attackers to upload dangerous file types (likely executable scripts like PHP) without proper validation. This could enable remote code execution on the affected WordPress site.

MitigationUpgrade to the latest patched version of CF7 Reply Manager immediately. If no patch is available, disable the plugin and implement server-side file type validation with allowlist approach for any upload functionality.

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
Changed
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/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 if CF7 Reply Manager plugin is installed
    Navigate to WordPress admin dashboard > Plugins > Installed Plugins. Look for 'CF7 Reply Manager' or 'Contact Form 7 Reply Manager' in the list. Note the installed version displayed next to the plugin name.
    Affected if The plugin is installed and active on the WordPress site
  2. Verify the installed plugin version
    If the plugin is installed, locate its main PHP file in wp-content/plugins/cf7-reply-manager/ (or similar path). Open the main plugin file and search for a 'Version:' comment or $version variable to confirm the exact version number.
    Affected if The installed version falls within an unpatched version range and has not been updated to the latest secure release
  3. Confirm file upload functionality is enabled
    Check WordPress media library settings at wp-admin/options.php (search for 'upload_filetypes' and 'upload_path') and inspect the CF7 Reply Manager settings panel for any file upload or attachment handling configuration.
    Affected if File uploads are permitted and the plugin's upload handler is active without additional validation controls
  4. Inspect upload directories for suspicious files
    Examine the wp-content/uploads/ directory (or custom upload path) for newly created files with dangerous extensions such as .php, .phtml, .php5, .php7, .js, .exe, or .sh. Check file creation timestamps corresponding to potential attack periods.
    Affected if Unexpected executable script files (.php, .phtml, etc.) exist in upload directories that were not intentionally uploaded through legitimate WordPress media functionality
  5. Review server-level upload directory protections
    Check if .htaccess (Apache) or server configuration (Nginx) files in upload directories contain restrictions to prevent execution of uploaded files. Look for 'SetHandler' directives or 'deny from all' rules that block script execution.
    Affected if Upload directories lack proper restrictions to prevent execution of uploaded files, allowing PHP or other scripts to run if uploaded

The environment is affected if CF7 Reply Manager is installed with an unpatched version and file upload functionality is active without proper server-side execution restrictions on upload directories.

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

Upgrade to the latest patched version of CF7 Reply Manager immediately. If no patch is available, disable the plugin and implement server-side file type validation with allowlist approach for any upload functionality.

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation3.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
8.0 hours of engineering $1,420
Get help mitigating

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,272.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2024-52404 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

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-2024-52404 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