# CVE-2021-24579: Bold Page Builder < 3.1.6 - PHP Object Injection

> Unauthenticated attackers can trigger PHP object injection via the AJAX grid action, potentially leading to remote code execution if compatible gadgets exist.

- **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:** 30 Aug 2021
- **Updated:** 3 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-7m4f-494f-vxhx

## What is CVE-2021-24579?

CVE-2021-24579 is a high-severity unsafe deserialization vulnerability in Unknown Bold Page Builder, published on 30 Aug 2021. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The bt_bb_get_grid AJAX action of the Bold Page Builder WordPress plugin before 3.1.6 passes user input into the unserialize() function without any validation or sanitisation, which could lead to a PHP Object Injection. Even though the plugin did not contain a suitable gadget to fully exploit the issue, other installed plugins on the blog could allow such issue to be exploited and lead to RCE in some cases.

Weakness: CWE-502 (Deserialization of Untrusted Data)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-24579?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Bold-Themes Bold Page Builder.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-24579?

No fix has been published for CVE-2021-24579 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2021-24579 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-24579 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Unknown Bold Page Builder

- [CVE-2019-15821](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-15821/): Missing authorization in n/a (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2024-53801](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-53801/): WordPress Bold Page Builder plugin <= 5.2.1 - Cross Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability (medium 6.5)
- [CVE-2024-47298](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-47298/): WordPress Bold Page Builder plugin <= 5.1.1 - Cross Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability (medium 6.5)
- [CVE-2024-47391](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-47391/): WordPress Bold Page Builder plugin < 5.1.1 - Cross Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability (medium 6.5)
- [CVE-2024-30442](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-30442/): WordPress Bold Page Builder plugin <= 4.8.0 - Cross Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability (medium 6.5)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2021-24579 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-24579 is a high-severity unsafe deserialization vulnerability in Unknown Bold Page Builder, published on 30 Aug 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-2021-24579 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Unknown Bold Page Builder. 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-2021-24579/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-24579/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-24579
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-24579
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-24579

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-24579/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.