# CVE-2021-24721: Loco Translate < 2.5.4 - Authenticated PHP Code Injection

> Authenticated translator users can inject PHP code into web-accessible files, leading to remote code execution on the WordPress site.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N`)
- **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:** 8 Nov 2021
- **Updated:** 3 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-8mj6-23hc-v88f

## What is CVE-2021-24721?

CVE-2021-24721 is a medium-severity code injection vulnerability in Unknown Loco Translate, published on 8 Nov 2021. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The Loco Translate WordPress plugin before 2.5.4 mishandles data inputs which get saved to a file, which can be renamed to an extension ending in .php, resulting in authenticated "translator" users being able to inject PHP code into files ending with .php in web accessible locations.

Weakness: CWE-94 (Improper Control of Generation of Code)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2021-24721?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Loco Translate Project Loco Translate.

## How do I fix CVE-2021-24721?

No fix has been published for CVE-2021-24721 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2021-24721 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2021-24721 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Unknown Loco Translate

- [CVE-2022-0765](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-0765/): Loco Translate < 2.6.1 - Authenticated Stored Cross-Site Scripting (medium 5.4)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2021-24721 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2021-24721 is a medium-severity code injection vulnerability in Unknown Loco Translate, published on 8 Nov 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-2021-24721 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Unknown Loco Translate. 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-2021-24721/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-24721/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2021-24721
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2021-24721
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2021-24721

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-24721/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.