dbcve.org
Page BuilderWordPress extension · Wpbakery

CVE-2024-5709

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-08-06
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 7.8 or later.
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 WPBakery Visual Composer plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Local File Inclusion in all versions up to, and including, 7.7 via the 'layout_name' parameter. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Author-level access and above, and with post permissions granted by an Administrator, 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 WPBakery Visual Composer plugin for WordPress versions up to 7.7 contains a Local File Inclusion vulnerability in the 'layout_name' parameter. Authenticated attackers with Author-level access and post permissions can include and execute arbitrary files on the server, leading to potential code execution, data exfiltration, and access control bypass.

MitigationUpdate WPBakery Visual Composer to version 7.8 or later. Until the update is applied, restrict user permissions to Author level and below, or temporarily disable the plugin if immediate patching is not feasible.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Page BuilderWordPress extension
Affected:< 7.8

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 WPBakery Page Builder is installed
    Log into WordPress admin dashboard, navigate to Plugins section, or check for /wp-content/plugins/js_composer/ directory on the server. The plugin is typically listed as 'WPBakery Page Builder' or 'Visual Composer' in the plugin list.
    Affected if Plugin is present and active in the WordPress installation
  2. Check installed WPBakery version
    In WordPress admin, go to Plugins > Installed Plugins > WPBakery Page Builder. The version number is displayed in the plugin description. Alternatively, check the version constant in /wp-content/plugins/js_composer/include/classes/core/class-vc-manager.php or the plugin header in main plugin file.
    Affected if Version is lower than 7.8 (e.g., 7.7, 7.6, 7.5, etc.)
  3. Identify users with Author-level or higher access
    In WordPress admin, navigate to Users > All Users. Review the role column for accounts with Author, Editor, or Administrator roles. These roles have the post permissions required to potentially exploit the vulnerability.
    Affected if Any user account with Author, Editor, or Administrator role exists in the system
  4. Check if the layout include endpoint is accessible
    The vulnerability exists in the 'layout_name' parameter. This typically involves AJAX requests to /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php or frontend builder endpoints. Check access logs for requests to admin-ajax.php with action=vc_get_vc_layout_param or similar vc_layout related actions.
    Affected if The plugin's layout inclusion functionality is reachable by authenticated users with post editing capabilities

A user is affected if WPBakery Page Builder version is below 7.8 AND any authenticated user with Author-level or higher access exists in the WordPress installation.

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
Upgrade available Upgrade to 7.8 or later
Fixed in 7.8
Interim mitigation

Update WPBakery Visual Composer to version 7.8 or later. Until the update is applied, restrict user permissions to Author level and below, or temporarily disable the plugin if immediate patching is not feasible.

Recommended fix High confidence

WPBakery Page Builder version 7.8 or later

  1. Backup your WordPress site before making any changes
  2. Update WPBakery Page Builder plugin to version 7.8 or later through the WordPress admin dashboard (Plugins > Add New > Upload or directly from the WordPress plugin repository)
  3. Verify the update was successful by checking the plugin version in Plugins > Installed Plugins
  4. Confirm the vulnerability is remediated by testing that the 'layout_name' parameter no longer accepts arbitrary file paths

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

Fix this in Page Builder Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
10.0 hours of engineering $1,770
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,832.

Scan for this in your stack

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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-2024-5709 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