Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2021-24942 affects the WordPress Menu Item Visibility Control plugin through version 0.5. A site administrator can place unsafe PHP logic in a menu visibility setting, leading to arbitrary code execution. This is high impact, but it requires a highly privileged WordPress account.
Executive priority
Prioritize remediation on externally reachable WordPress sites and any site with many administrators. The business risk is full site compromise after admin access is obtained, so hardening administrator access is part of the fix path.
Technical view
The plugin fails to sanitize and validate the menu item "Visibility logic" option. Sources classify this as CWE-94 code injection with CVSS 3.1 score 7.2. The attack path is network-accessible but requires high privileges and no user interaction after access is obtained.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited to WordPress sites running Menu Item Visibility Control through 0.5. Risk is highest where administrator accounts are shared, weakly protected, or exposed after compromise. The bundle does not identify other affected products.
Exploitation context
WPScan labels the issue with an exploit reference, but the CVE bundle does not provide evidence of active exploitation, and CISA KEV status is false. Treat it as a post-admin-compromise code execution risk rather than an unauthenticated internet-wide exposure.
Researcher notes
The source bundle supports arbitrary PHP code execution by highly privileged users via unsanitized visibility logic. It does not name a specific patched version, vendor maintainer, or active exploitation evidence. Avoid expanding scope beyond Menu Item Visibility Control through 0.5.
Mitigation direction
- Inventory WordPress sites for Menu Item Visibility Control through version 0.5.
- Disable or remove the plugin if it is not required.
- Check vendor or WPScan guidance for a patched version or safe replacement.
- Restrict WordPress administrator access and require strong MFA.
- Review menu visibility logic for unauthorized or unexpected PHP-like content.
Validation and detection
- Confirm the plugin name and version from WordPress administration or asset inventory.
- Review administrator accounts for unexpected users, shared credentials, or weak access controls.
- Inspect menu item visibility settings for unauthorized logic changes.
- Check WordPress and hosting logs for suspicious administrator activity.
- Document whether the plugin is removed, upgraded, or still business-required.
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-94: 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-2021-24942 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
- High
- CVSS
- 7.2 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
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 vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H1.25.9Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
7.2HighVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://wpscan.com/vulnerability/eaa28832-74c1-4cd5-9b0f-02338e23b418CVE reference · exploit, vdb-entry
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 Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection')
Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection') represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.