CVE-2021-24544
CWE-79Published: October 25, 2021· Updated: Jun 17, 2026
Official Description
The Responsive WordPress Slider WordPress plugin through 2.2.0 does not sanitise and escape some of the Slider options, allowing Cross-Site Scripting payloads to be set in them. Furthermore, as by default any authenticated user is allowed to create Sliders (https://wordpress.org/support/topic/slider-can-be-changed-from-any-user-even-subscriber/, such settings can be changed in the plugin's settings), this would allow user with a role as low as subscriber to perform Cross-Site Scripting attacks against logged in admins viewing the slider list and could lead to privilege escalation by creating a rogue admin account for example.
Technical Analysis
CVE-2021-24544 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.
Exploitation requires low privileges, which limits the exposure to scenarios where an attacker has already gained initial access.
The vulnerability has a "Changed" scope, meaning successful exploitation can impact components beyond the vulnerable component itself — such as the host operating system or adjacent services.
From a weakness classification perspective (CWE-79): Cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities allow attackers to inject malicious scripts into web pages viewed by other users.
CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown
Affected Vendors & Products
Exploit & PoC Resources
Official Patches & Advisories
All References (2)
Quick Facts
Related CVEs (CWE-79)
Recommended Actions
- →Apply vendor patches immediately
- →Monitor CVE-2021-24544 in threat intel feeds
- →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts