Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
Bold Page Builder for WordPress before 3.1.6 could process unsafe serialized input. On its own, the plugin reportedly lacked the needed code path to complete exploitation, but other installed plugins could make the issue dangerous, including possible remote code execution in some cases.
Executive priority
Treat as a targeted remediation item for WordPress estates, especially public sites with many plugins. The issue is not confirmed as actively exploited in the supplied sources, but the possible RCE outcome warrants prompt version verification and upgrade.
Technical view
The bt_bb_get_grid AJAX action passed user-controlled input to PHP unserialize() without validation or sanitization, matching CWE-502. Exploitability is environment-dependent because the vulnerable plugin did not include a suitable gadget, but other WordPress plugins could provide one.
Likely exposure
Public WordPress sites using Bold Page Builder before 3.1.6 are the relevant exposure. Risk is higher where additional plugins are installed that could provide PHP object injection gadget chains.
Exploitation context
The source bundle does not show CISA KEV listing or active exploitation evidence. The documented impact is conditional: PHP object injection may become remote code execution when the surrounding WordPress environment contains exploitable gadgets.
Researcher notes
Evidence is limited to the CVE record and WPScan reference. No CVSS score is supplied. The important research question is whether the affected site has compatible gadget chains from other installed plugins or themes.
Mitigation direction
- Upgrade Bold Page Builder to version 3.1.6 or later.
- Inventory WordPress sites for Bold Page Builder installations.
- Reduce unnecessary WordPress plugins to limit gadget-chain exposure.
- Check vendor or WPScan guidance for any additional remediation.
Validation and detection
- Confirm Bold Page Builder version on each WordPress site.
- Verify exposed sites are not running versions before 3.1.6.
- Review plugin inventory for complex or outdated PHP plugins.
- Check logs for unusual bt_bb_get_grid AJAX activity.
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-502: Code execution behavior lookup
Code execution and unsafe deserialization weaknesses often justify reviewing execution behavior and process 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 lookupExecution behavior lookup
The CVE wording references code or command execution, so execution technique review may help defensive triage. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2021-24579 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/08edce3f-2746-4886-8439-76e44ec76fa8CVE 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.
Deserialization of Untrusted Data
Deserialization of Untrusted Data represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.