# CVE-2021-24311: External Media < 1.0.34 - Authenticated Arbitrary File Upload

> Authenticated users can upload arbitrary files via the External Media WordPress plugin, potentially leading to remote code execution.

- **Severity:** High 8.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 1 Jun 2021
- **Updated:** 3 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-hmcx-73wq-2qf4

## What is CVE-2021-24311?

CVE-2021-24311 is a high-severity vulnerability in Unknown External Media, published on 1 Jun 2021. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The wp_ajax_upload-remote-file AJAX action of the External Media WordPress plugin before 1.0.34 was vulnerable to arbitrary file uploads via any authenticated users.

Weakness: CWE-434 (Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-24311?

It affects 1 product.


Products: External Media Project External Media.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-24311?

No fix has been published for CVE-2021-24311 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2021-24311 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-24311 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Unknown External Media

- [CVE-2022-3832](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-3832/): External Media < 1.0.36 - Admin+ Stored XSS (medium 4.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2021-24311 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-24311 is a high-severity vulnerability in Unknown External Media, published on 1 Jun 2021. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-24311 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Unknown External Media. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-24311/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-24311/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-24311
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-24311
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-24311

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-24311/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.