CVE-2024-2721 – This vulnerability allows attackers to execute ... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2024-2721?

CVE-2024-2721 has a CVSS score of 8.2 (HIGH). This vulnerability allows attackers to execute arbitrary code on WordPress sites running the Social Media Share Buttons plugin by exploiting PHP object injection through untrusted data deserialization. It affects all WordPress installations using this plugin from any version up to 2.1.0. Attackers can potentially take full control of affected websites.

📋 TL;DR

This vulnerability allows attackers to execute arbitrary code on WordPress sites running the Social Media Share Buttons plugin by exploiting PHP object injection through untrusted data deserialization. It affects all WordPress installations using this plugin from any version up to 2.1.0. Attackers can potentially take full control of affected websites.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

Social Media Share Buttons WordPress Plugin

Versions: n/a through 2.1.0

Operating Systems: All operating systems running WordPress

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: All WordPress installations with the vulnerable plugin versions are affected regardless of configuration.

📦 What is this software?

Social Media Share Buttons by Sygnoos

View all CVEs affecting Social Media Share Buttons →

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Complete compromise of the WordPress site leading to data theft, defacement, malware distribution, or use as part of a botnet.

🟠

Likely Case

Remote code execution allowing attackers to create backdoors, steal sensitive data, or install malicious plugins/themes.

🟢

If Mitigated

Limited impact if proper input validation and output encoding are implemented, though deserialization vulnerabilities remain high-risk.

🌐 Internet-Facing: HIGH

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ⚠️ Yes

Weaponized: LIKELY

Unauthenticated Exploit: ⚠️ Yes

Complexity: LOW

Public exploit details available through Patchstack. PHP object injection vulnerabilities are commonly weaponized.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: 2.1.1 or later

Vendor Advisory: https://patchstack.com/database/vulnerability/social-media-builder/wordpress-social-media-share-buttons-plugin-2-1-0-php-object-injection-vulnerability

Restart Required: No

Instructions:

1. Log into WordPress admin panel. 2. Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins. 3. Find 'Social Media Share Buttons'. 4. Click 'Update Now' if available. 5. Alternatively, download latest version from WordPress repository and replace plugin files.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable Plugin

all

Temporarily disable the vulnerable plugin until patched.

wp plugin deactivate social-media-builder

Remove Plugin

all

Completely remove the vulnerable plugin if not essential.

wp plugin delete social-media-builder

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to block deserialization attempts
Restrict access to affected WordPress sites using IP whitelisting

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check WordPress admin panel > Plugins > Social Media Share Buttons version. If version is 2.1.0 or earlier, you are vulnerable.

Check Version:

wp plugin get social-media-builder --field=version

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify plugin version is 2.1.1 or later in WordPress admin panel.

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Unusual POST requests to WordPress admin-ajax.php or plugin endpoints
PHP error logs containing unserialize() warnings or errors

Network Indicators:

HTTP requests containing serialized PHP objects in parameters
Traffic patterns suggesting exploitation attempts

SIEM Query:

source="wordpress.log" AND ("unserialize" OR "admin-ajax.php" AND "social-media")

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2024-2721

CVSS v3 Score: 8.2 (HIGH)

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:N

CWE: CWE-502

Published: March 20, 2024

Last Updated: May 13, 2025

🔗 References

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🔗 Related Vulnerabilities

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