dbcve.org
Special Text BoxesWordPress extension · Simplelib

CVE-2024-8481

HIGH · 7.3 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-09-25
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 6.2.2 or later.
See remediation →
82/100
Remediation priority · High
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 The Special Text Boxes plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to arbitrary shortcode execution in all versions up to, and including, 6.2.4. This is due to the plugin adding the filter add_filter('comment_text', 'do_shortcode'); which will run all shortcodes in comments. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary shortcodes.

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 Special Text Boxes WordPress plugin (versions up to 6.2.4) registers a filter via add_filter('comment_text', 'do_shortcode') that processes all shortcodes in comment content. Since this affects unauthenticated comments, attackers can submit comments containing arbitrary shortcodes that WordPress will execute, potentially leading to data exfiltration, privilege escalation, or remote code execution depending on other installed plugins.

MitigationUpdate the plugin to a patched version beyond 6.2.4. If no patched version is available, deactivate and remove the plugin until a fix is released. Consider deploying a WAF to block shortcode-containing comments as a temporary defense.

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
Special Text BoxesWordPress extension
Affected:<= 6.2.2

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
Low
Availability
Low

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L

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 plugin directory
    Check the WordPress plugins folder at wp-content/plugins/ for a directory named 'special-text-boxes' or similar
    Affected if Plugin directory exists in the plugins folder
  2. Identify installed plugin version
    Open the main plugin PHP file (usually index.php or special-text-boxes.php) and locate the version number in the plugin header comment
    Affected if Version is 6.2.2 or lower
  3. Confirm plugin is active
    Query the wp_options table for the active_plugins option, or check via WordPress admin under Plugins > Installed Plugins
    Affected if Plugin is listed as active
  4. Verify the vulnerable filter exists
    Examine the plugin source code for the line add_filter('comment_text', 'do_shortcode')
    Affected if The filter is registered in the plugin code

If the Simplelib Special Text Boxes plugin is installed and active at version 6.2.2 or lower, your site processes arbitrary shortcodes in all comments, making it vulnerable to CVE-2024-8481.

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 a release after 6.2.2
Interim mitigation

Update the plugin to a patched version beyond 6.2.4. If no patched version is available, deactivate and remove the plugin until a fix is released. Consider deploying a WAF to block shortcode-containing comments as a temporary defense.

Recommended fix High confidence

Upgrade to the latest version of Special Text Boxes (any version higher than 6.2.4)

  1. Check the current version of the Special Text Boxes plugin installed on your WordPress site
  2. Backup your WordPress site (database and files) before making any changes
  3. Navigate to Dashboard > Plugins > Installed Plugins
  4. Find 'Special Text Boxes' in the plugin list
  5. If the installed version is 6.2.4 or lower, click 'Update Now' to upgrade to the latest version
  6. Alternatively, navigate to Dashboard > Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin to manually upload the latest version if automatic updates are not available
  7. After updating, verify the new version number reflects the upgrade
  8. Test that the plugin functionality still works as expected on your site
Caveat Review plugin settings after upgrade as minor configuration changes may occur with major version updates

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

Fix this in Special Text Boxes Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
12.0 hours of engineering $2,130
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,408.

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-2024-8481 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