# CVE-2024-9224: Hello World <= 2.1.1 - Authenticated (Subscriber+) Arbitrary File Read

> Authenticated subscribers can read arbitrary files on the server via a path traversal vulnerability in the Hello World WordPress plugin.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/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:** 1 Oct 2024
- **Updated:** 8 Apr 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-w8x6-88rf-9hhp

## What is CVE-2024-9224?

CVE-2024-9224 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in kau-boy Hello World, published on 1 Oct 2024. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The Hello World plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Arbitrary File Reading in all versions up to, and including, 2.1.1 via the hello_world_lyric() function. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with subscriber-level access and above, to read the contents of arbitrary files on the server, which can contain sensitive information.

Weakness: CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-9224?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Kau-Boys Hello World.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-9224?

No fix has been published for CVE-2024-9224 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2024-9224 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-9224 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Public exploit code:

- Hello World <= 2.1.1 - Authenticated (Subscriber+) Arbitrary File Read (github_poc): https://github.com/RandomRobbieBF/CVE-2024-9224

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2024-9224 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-9224 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in kau-boy Hello World, published on 1 Oct 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-2024-9224 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: kau-boy Hello World. 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-2024-9224/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-9224/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-9224
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-9224
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-9224

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-9224/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.