Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
AceIDE for WordPress through version 2.6.2 can let an authenticated administrator read files outside the WordPress blog directory. The business risk is exposure of sensitive server files, but the sources indicate the attacker already needs high-privilege access.
Executive priority
Treat this as a focused WordPress hardening item, not an internet-wide emergency. Prioritize sites where AceIDE is installed and admin accounts are exposed, shared, or weakly protected.
Technical view
The plugin appends unsanitized user input to system paths in file-related actions, creating CWE-22 path traversal. Sources describe arbitrary file read on the web server by authenticated admin-level users. No CVSS, CPE, or vendor remediation detail is provided in the bundle.
Likely exposure
Exposure is likely limited to WordPress sites running AceIDE through 2.6.2 where an administrator account is compromised, malicious, or shared too broadly.
Exploitation context
The source bundle does not show CISA KEV listing or active exploitation. Public references describe the vulnerability class and admin-authenticated file access, but not confirmed exploitation in the wild.
Researcher notes
Evidence supports authenticated admin-level arbitrary file read via path traversal. The bundle lacks CVSS, CPEs, exploit status, and definitive patch information, so remediation should be confirmed against vendor or WPScan data.
Mitigation direction
- Inventory WordPress sites for AceIDE and confirm installed versions.
- Remove AceIDE if it is not operationally required.
- Check vendor or WPScan guidance for any maintained fixed version.
- Restrict WordPress administrator access to trusted users only.
- If exposure is suspected, review potentially readable secrets and incident response needs.
Validation and detection
- Confirm whether AceIDE version 2.6.2 or earlier is installed.
- Review administrator account access, MFA status, and recent account changes.
- Check web and WordPress logs for unusual AceIDE file-access activity.
- Confirm the plugin is removed or updated according to vendor guidance.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-22: File access and web shell behavior lookup
File traversal and upload weaknesses can lead teams to review file, web shell, execution, and collection telemetry. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupFile access behavior lookup
The CVE wording references file access or upload behavior, so file telemetry and web shell review may help. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2021-24549 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Unknown
- CVSS
- Not scored
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS and timeline data
No CVSS vectors or timeline events were available in the normalized CVE source material.
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://wpscan.com/vulnerability/c594abaf-b152-448c-8a20-9b3267fe547aCVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
- https://codevigilant.com/disclosure/2021/wp-plugin-aceide/CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.