# CVE-2024-8253: Post Grid and Gutenberg Blocks 2.2.87 - 2.2.90 - Authenticated (Subscriber+) Privilege Escalation

> Authenticated subscribers can escalate privileges to administrator by improperly updating user meta values in the Post Grid and Gutenberg Blocks plugin.

- **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:** 11 Sep 2024
- **Updated:** 11 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-2hp6-4vgr-wvjw

## What is CVE-2024-8253?

CVE-2024-8253 is a high-severity vulnerability in pickplugins Post Grid and Gutenberg Blocks, published on 11 Sep 2024. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The Post Grid and Gutenberg Blocks plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to privilege escalation in all versions 2.2.87 to 2.2.90. This is due to the plugin not properly restricting what user meta values can be updated and ensuring a form is active. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with subscriber-level access and above, to update their user meta to become an administrator.

Weakness: CWE-266 (Incorrect Privilege Assignment)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-8253?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Pickplugins Post Grid.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-8253?

No fix has been published for CVE-2024-8253 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2024-8253 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-8253 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in pickplugins Post Grid and Gutenberg Blocks

- [CVE-2021-4450](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-4450/): Post Grid <= 2.1.12 - Contributor+ SQL Injection (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2024-13408](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-13408/): Path traversal in Post Grid, Slider & Carousel Ultimate – with Shortcode, Gutenberg Block & Elementor Widget (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2020-35936](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-35936/): Cross-site scripting in n/a (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2020-35937](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-35937/): Cross-site scripting in n/a (high 7.5)
- [CVE-2020-35938](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-35938/): Deserialization in n/a (high 7.5)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2024-8253 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-8253 is a high-severity vulnerability in pickplugins Post Grid and Gutenberg Blocks, published on 11 Sep 2024. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-8253 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: pickplugins Post Grid and Gutenberg Blocks. 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-2024-8253/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-8253/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-8253
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-8253
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-8253

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-8253/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.