Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2021-38314 lets unauthenticated visitors query certain Redux Framework AJAX actions on affected WordPress sites. The issue exposes reconnaissance data, not direct site takeover: active plugin names and versions, PHP version, and an md5-derived hash of WordPress authentication keys.
Executive priority
Treat as a moderate-priority WordPress hygiene issue. It does not indicate direct compromise, but it can reveal information attackers use to choose higher-impact attacks against exposed sites.
Technical view
Gutenberg Template Library & Redux Framework <= 4.2.11 generated unauthenticated AJAX action names from deterministic md5 hashes using known salts. Attackers who can derive the action names may retrieve sensitive site metadata and an unsalted md5 hash of AUTH_KEY plus SECURE_AUTH_KEY. CVSS 3.1 is 5.3, confidentiality-only impact.
Likely exposure
Public WordPress sites running Gutenberg Template Library & Redux Framework version 4.2.11 or earlier are the relevant exposure. The vulnerability is remotely reachable without authentication when the vulnerable AJAX actions are registered and accessible.
Exploitation context
The provided sources do not show CISA KEV listing or confirmed active exploitation. Practical value is reconnaissance: exposed plugin, PHP, and key-derived hash data can help attackers prioritize follow-on attacks against known vulnerable components.
Researcher notes
Key details are deterministic action derivation, unauthenticated access, CWE-200 information exposure, and CWE-760 one-way hash with predictable salt context. Sources do not provide exploit code, confirmed exploitation, or a specific fixed version in the supplied bundle.
Mitigation direction
- Inventory WordPress sites using the affected plugin.
- Check vendor guidance for the corrected release and update accordingly.
- Disable or remove the plugin if it is not required.
- Rotate WordPress authentication salts if exposed data is suspected.
- Review security monitoring for suspicious unauthenticated AJAX activity.
Validation and detection
- Confirm whether Redux Framework is installed and active.
- Record the installed version on each WordPress site.
- Verify affected versions are upgraded or removed.
- Review logs for unusual unauthenticated admin-ajax.php requests.
- Confirm no unauthenticated response exposes plugin, PHP, or key-derived data.
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-200: Information exposure and cloud metadata lookup
Information exposure and SSRF weaknesses can make discovery, cloud metadata, and credential material review relevant. 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 lookupCWE-760: Exact CWE lookup
Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. 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 lookupCVE-2021-38314 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
- Medium
- CVSS
- 5.3 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
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:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N3.91.4Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
5.3MediumVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://www.wordfence.com/blog/2021/09/over-1-million-sites-affected-by-redux-framework-vulnerabilities/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.
Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor
Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.
Use of a One-Way Hash with a Predictable Salt
Use of a One-Way Hash with a Predictable Salt represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.