dbcve.org
Code InjectionWeakness · CWE-94

CVE-2024-8672

CRITICAL · 9.9 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-11-28
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
The Widget Options – The #1 WordPress Widget & Block Control Plugin plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Remote Code Execution in all versions up to, and including, 4.0.7 via the display logic functionality that extends several page builders. This is due to the plugin allowing users to supply input that will be passed through eval() without any filtering or capability checks. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with contributor-level access and above, to execute code on the server. Special note: We suggested the vendor implement an allowlist of functions and limit the ability to execute commands to just administrators, however, they did not take our advice. We are considering this patched, however, we believe it could still be further hardened and there may be residual risk with how the issue is currently patched.

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 Widget Options WordPress plugin contains an authenticated RCE vulnerability in its display logic functionality. The plugin passes user-supplied input through eval() without sanitization or capability checks, allowing any authenticated user with contributor-level access or higher to execute arbitrary code on the server.

MitigationUpdate to the latest version immediately. If no update is available, restrict or disable the display logic feature, and consider removing the plugin until patched. Given the partial nature of the vendor's patch and residual risk noted, consider implementing additional hardening or alternative solutions.

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. Verify Widget Options plugin is installed
    Navigate to WordPress admin > Plugins and check if 'Widget Options' is listed among installed plugins, or check the plugin files in /wp-content/plugins/widget-options/
    Affected if Plugin is installed and active
  2. Identify installed plugin version
    In Plugins list, find Widget Options and note the version number displayed under the plugin name; alternatively, open the main plugin file (widget-options.php) and look for the Version header comment
    Affected if Version is unknown, unpatched, or falls within a vulnerable range prior to the fix
  3. Confirm display logic feature is in use
    Go to Appearance > Widgets, open any widget settings, and check if the 'Display Logic' option field is present and contains PHP code expressions
    Affected if Display logic feature contains eval()-compatible PHP expressions that could be injected
  4. Check for contributor-level or higher user accounts
    Navigate to Users > All Users and review the role column for any accounts assigned Contributor, Author, Editor, or Administrator roles
    Affected if At least one user with contributor-level or higher access exists on the site
  5. Inspect saved display logic entries in database
    Use phpMyAdmin or WP-CLI to query the wp_options table for option_name containing 'widget_options' or 'display_logic' and examine stored values for unsanitized input
    Affected if Database contains display logic entries with raw PHP expressions that could be executed

User is affected if Widget Options plugin is installed with a vulnerable version, the display logic feature is enabled or contains PHP expressions, and any authenticated user with contributor-level access exists on the site.

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 to the latest version immediately. If no update is available, restrict or disable the display logic feature, and consider removing the plugin until patched. Given the partial nature of the vendor's patch and residual risk noted, consider implementing additional hardening or alternative solutions.

Recommended fix High confidence

Widget Options plugin version 4.0.8 or later

  1. 1. Navigate to the WordPress admin dashboard
  2. 2. Go to Plugins > Installed Plugins
  3. 3. Locate the 'Widget Options – The #1 WordPress Widget & Block Control Plugin'
  4. 4. If the plugin is not at version 4.0.8 or higher, click 'Update Now' to install the latest version
  5. 5. Verify the update completes successfully
  6. 6. Confirm the installed version is 4.0.8 or later

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

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
16.0 hours of engineering $2,800
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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-2024-8672 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