{"id":"CVE-2021-42362","url":"https://www.cyber-defence.io/tools/cve/CVE-2021-42362","generatedAt":"2026-11-05T00:59:08.784Z","title":"The WordPress Popular Posts WordPress plugin is vulnerable to arbitrary file uploads due to insufficient input file type validation found in the ~/src/Image.php file which makes it possible for attackers with contributor level access and above to upload…","description":"The WordPress Popular Posts WordPress plugin is vulnerable to arbitrary file uploads due to insufficient input file type validation found in the ~/src/Image.php file which makes it possible for attackers with contributor level access and above to upload malicious files that can be used to obtain remote code execution, in versions up to and including 5.3.2.","published":"2021-11-17T18:15:08.000Z","lastModified":"2026-06-17T04:09:42.000Z","status":"Modified","sourceIdentifier":"security@wordfence.com","cvss":{"version":"3.1","score":8.8,"severity":"HIGH","vector":"CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"},"cwe":["CWE-434"],"affected":["wordpress popular posts project/wordpress popular posts"],"epss":{"score":0.79823,"percentile":0.9961,"date":"2026-11-03","history":[]},"kev":{"listed":false},"exploits":{"count":1,"verified":false,"firstPublished":"2021-07-15","source":"Exploit-DB (https://gitlab.com/exploit-database/exploitdb)","entries":[{"edbId":50129,"kind":"exploit","title":"WordPress Plugin Popular Posts 5.3.2 - Remote Code Execution (RCE) (Authenticated)","url":"https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/50129","sourceUrl":"https://gitlab.com/exploit-database/exploitdb/-/blob/main/exploits/php/webapps/50129.py","file":"exploits/php/webapps/50129.py","published":"2021-07-15","added":"2021-07-15","updated":"2021-11-24","author":"Simone Cristofaro","type":"webapps","platform":"php","port":null,"verified":false,"codes":["CVE-2021-42362"],"tags":null,"aliases":null,"applicationUrl":"http://www.exploit-db.comwordpress-popular-posts.5.3.2.zip","screenshotUrl":null,"referenceUrl":null}]},"verdict":{"level":"urgent","text":"EPSS puts the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days at 79.8%, higher than 100% of all known CVEs. Patch or mitigate before the next change window."},"changes":[],"references":[{"url":"http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/165376/WordPress-Popular-Posts-5.3.2-Remote-Code-Execution.html","tags":["Exploit","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"],"source":"security@wordfence.com"},{"url":"https://blog.nintechnet.com/improper-input-validation-fixed-in-wordpress-popular-posts-plugin/","tags":["Exploit","Third Party Advisory"],"source":"security@wordfence.com"},{"url":"https://github.com/cabrerahector/wordpress-popular-posts/commit/d9b274cf6812eb446e4103cb18f69897ec6fe601","source":"security@wordfence.com"},{"url":"https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/2542638/wordpress-popular-posts/trunk/src/Image.php","tags":["Patch","Third Party Advisory"],"source":"security@wordfence.com"},{"url":"https://wpscan.com/vulnerability/bd4f157c-a3d7-4535-a587-0102ba4e3009","tags":["Third Party Advisory"],"source":"security@wordfence.com"},{"url":"https://www.wordfence.com/vulnerability-advisories/#CVE-2021-42362","tags":["Third Party Advisory"],"source":"security@wordfence.com"},{"url":"http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/165376/WordPress-Popular-Posts-5.3.2-Remote-Code-Execution.html","tags":["Exploit","Third Party Advisory","VDB Entry"],"source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"https://blog.nintechnet.com/improper-input-validation-fixed-in-wordpress-popular-posts-plugin/","tags":["Exploit","Third Party Advisory"],"source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"https://github.com/cabrerahector/wordpress-popular-posts/commit/d9b274cf6812eb446e4103cb18f69897ec6fe601","source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/2542638/wordpress-popular-posts/trunk/src/Image.php","tags":["Patch","Third Party Advisory"],"source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"https://wpscan.com/vulnerability/bd4f157c-a3d7-4535-a587-0102ba4e3009","tags":["Third Party Advisory"],"source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"},{"url":"https://www.wordfence.com/vulnerability-advisories/#CVE-2021-42362","tags":["Third Party Advisory"],"source":"af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108"}],"sources":{"nvd":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-42362","epss":"https://www.first.org/epss/","kev":"https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog","exploitdb":"https://www.exploit-db.com/"},"licence":"CC BY 4.0 — link back to the CVE Explorer if you publish the results; upstream data remains subject to its own terms."}