dbcve.org
Hello WorldWordPress extension · Kau Boys

CVE-2024-9224

MEDIUM · 6.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-10-01
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 2.2.0 or later.
See remediation →
71/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
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 Hello World plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Arbitrary File Reading in all versions up to, and including, 2.1.1 via the hello_world_lyric() function. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with subscriber-level access and above, to read the contents of arbitrary files on the server, which can contain sensitive information.

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 Hello World WordPress plugin versions up to 2.1.1 contains an arbitrary file reading vulnerability in the hello_world_lyric() function. Authenticated users with subscriber-level permissions can exploit this to read arbitrary files on the server via path traversal, potentially exposing sensitive configuration or system files.

MitigationUpdate the Hello World plugin to version 2.2.0 or later to remediate the vulnerability. If immediate update is not possible, disable the plugin until a patch can be applied.

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
Hello WorldWordPress extension
Affected:< 2.2.0

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
None
Availability
None

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

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 Hello World plugin is installed
    Navigate to WordPress admin dashboard > Plugins > Installed Plugins and look for 'Hello World' by Kau Boys in the list
    Affected if The Hello World plugin appears in the installed plugins list
  2. Check installed plugin version
    In the Plugins list, look at the version number displayed beneath the 'Hello World' plugin name, or click on the plugin to view its details and read the version
    Affected if The version shown is less than 2.2.0 (for example: 2.1.1, 2.1.0, 2.0.0, etc.)
  3. Confirm the vulnerable function exists
    Access the WordPress site via FTP or file manager and locate the plugin files in wp-content/plugins/hello-world/. Open the main plugin PHP file and search for the function 'hello_world_lyric'
    Affected if The function hello_world_lyric() exists in the plugin code
  4. Check if subscriber-level accounts exist
    In WordPress admin, go to Users > All Users and review the user roles listed. Look for any users with 'Subscriber' role specifically
    Affected if There is at least one user account assigned the Subscriber role
  5. Test for path traversal accessibility
    If you have a test subscriber account, attempt to access a known file via the plugin endpoint. Otherwise, inspect the plugin code to see if hello_world_lyric() processes a parameter (such as a file path) without proper sanitization
    Affected if The function accepts user-controlled input for file paths without sanitizing ../ sequences

You are affected if the Hello World plugin version is below 2.2.0 and the hello_world_lyric() function is present in your installation with subscriber-level user accounts existing 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
Upgrade available Upgrade to 2.2.0 or later
Fixed in 2.2.0
Interim mitigation

Update the Hello World plugin to version 2.2.0 or later to remediate the vulnerability. If immediate update is not possible, disable the plugin until a patch can be applied.

Recommended fix High confidence

2.2.0

  1. 1. Log in to the WordPress admin dashboard
  2. 2. Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins
  3. 3. Locate the Hello World plugin in the list
  4. 4. If an update is available, click 'Update Now' to upgrade to version 2.2.0 or later
  5. 5. Alternatively, manually upload the fixed plugin version (2.2.0 or higher) via Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin
  6. 6. Verify the plugin is running version 2.2.0 or newer after update

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

Fix this in Hello World Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
7.0 hours of engineering $1,240
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,984.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2024-9224 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

Get it on GitHub Scan in the browser

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-2024-9224 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