CVE-2021-42362

HIGHNVD 8.89.0▲
EchelonGraph scoreHIGH confidence

Score elevated to 9.0 because EPSS predicts 80% probability of exploitation within the next 30 days (top 0.4% of all CVEs). NVD baseline CVSS 8.8 retained for reference. Confidence: see factors.

Triggered by: EPSS exploit prediction ≥85%
Sources: epss, nvd
Weaponized
8.8
EchelonGraph verdictPatch this weekExploitation is likely or a public exploit exists.
  • High exploitation likelihood — EPSS 80%
CISA-KEV: Not listedEPSS: 80%CVSS: 8.8Exploit: NoneExposed: 0

No vendor fix yet — apply a workaround or compensating control (WAF / firewall / segmentation) and watch for a patch.

The WordPress Popular Posts WordPress plugin is vulnerable to arbitrary file uploads due to insufficient input file type validation found in the ~/src/Image.php file which makes it possible for attackers with contributor level access and above to upload malicious files that can be used to obtain remote code execution, in versions up to and including 5.3.2.

CVSS v3
8.8
EG Score
9.0(high)
EG Risk
77(Track)
EG Risk 77/100SSVC: Track

EG Risk is EchelonGraph's 0–100 priority score: it fuses intrinsic severity with real-world exploitation and automatability so you can rank equal-severity CVEs and fix the most dangerous first. Higher = act sooner. Distinct from the 0–10 EG Score (severity).

How it’s computed
Severity90% × 45%
Exploitation80% × 40%
Automatability30% × 15%
Action: Routine — remediate on your standard cadence.
EPSS
99.6%
KEV
Not listed

Published

November 17, 2021

Last Modified

November 21, 2024

References (12)

Weakness Classification(1)

MITRE Common Weakness Enumeration — the root-cause categories this CVE belongs to.

Data Freshness Timeline

(refreshed 4× in last 7d / 21× in last 30d)

Each row is a source pipeline that fetched or updated this CVE on that date, with what changed. For example, "NVD update" means NVD published or revised its analysis for this CVE; "MITRE cvelistV5" means we ingested or refreshed it from the CNA feed. Most recent first.

  1. 2026-07-23 02:04 UTCEG score recompute▲ 0.20
  2. 2026-07-22 22:51 UTCEG score recompute
  3. 2026-07-22 14:06 UTCEPSS rescore
  4. 2026-07-20 17:05 UTCEPSS rescore
  5. 2026-07-16 17:00 UTCEPSS rescore
  6. 2026-07-16 17:00 UTCEPSS rescore
  7. 2026-07-15 16:55 UTCEPSS rescore
  8. 2026-07-15 16:55 UTCEPSS rescore
  9. 2026-07-13 06:11 UTCEPSS rescore
  10. 2026-07-13 06:11 UTCEPSS rescore
  11. 2026-07-13 04:07 UTCOSV refresh
  12. 2026-07-09 19:07 UTCEPSS rescore
  13. 2026-07-06 02:21 UTCEPSS rescore
  14. 2026-07-06 02:21 UTCEPSS rescore
  15. 2026-07-02 16:57 UTCEPSS rescore
  16. 2026-06-28 14:05 UTCEPSS rescore
  17. 2026-06-25 13:48 UTCEPSS rescore
  18. 2026-06-25 13:48 UTCEPSS rescore
  19. 2026-06-24 14:03 UTCEPSS rescore
  20. 2026-06-24 14:03 UTCEPSS rescore
  21. 2026-06-24 14:01 UTCOSV refresh
  22. 2026-06-23 21:31 UTCEPSS rescore
  23. 2026-06-23 21:31 UTCEPSS rescore
  24. 2026-06-21 14:55 UTCEPSS rescore
  25. 2026-06-21 01:58 UTCEPSS rescore
Show 29 more
  1. 2026-06-21 01:58 UTCEPSS rescore
  2. 2026-06-17 17:51 UTCEPSS rescore
  3. 2026-06-17 17:51 UTCEPSS rescore
  4. 2026-06-17 17:51 UTCEPSS rescore
  5. 2026-06-16 17:51 UTCEPSS rescore
  6. 2026-06-16 17:51 UTCEPSS rescore
  7. 2026-06-15 17:46 UTCEPSS rescore
  8. 2026-06-13 22:58 UTCEPSS rescore
  9. 2026-06-13 22:58 UTCEPSS rescore
  10. 2026-06-12 23:10 UTCEPSS rescore
  11. 2026-06-10 22:16 UTCEPSS rescore
  12. 2026-06-10 22:16 UTCEPSS rescore
  13. 2026-06-07 18:16 UTCOSV refresh
  14. 2026-06-06 13:46 UTCEPSS rescore
  15. 2026-06-06 13:46 UTCEPSS rescore
  16. 2026-06-05 22:45 UTCEPSS rescore
  17. 2026-06-05 06:09 UTCEPSS rescore
  18. 2026-06-05 06:09 UTCEPSS rescore
  19. 2026-06-02 20:11 UTCEPSS rescore
  20. 2026-06-02 20:11 UTCEPSS rescore
  21. 2026-05-31 22:29 UTCEPSS rescore
  22. 2026-05-31 22:29 UTCEPSS rescore
  23. 2026-05-31 00:15 UTCEPSS rescore
  24. 2026-05-31 00:15 UTCEPSS rescore
  25. 2026-05-29 13:42 UTCEPSS rescore
  26. 2026-05-27 13:39 UTCEPSS rescore
  27. 2026-05-27 13:39 UTCEPSS rescore
  28. 2026-05-23 08:30 UTCEG score recompute
  29. 2026-05-23 08:30 UTCGHSA enrichment

Publicly available exploits

(2 references)

Working exploit code is in the public domain (1 Metasploit module) (1 Exploit-DB entry). Defenders should treat patch urgency accordingly — public PoCs typically lead to mass-exploitation within 24-72 hours.

  • Exploit-DBEDB-50129
    First seen Jul 15, 2021

    WordPress Plugin Popular Posts 5.3.2 - Remote Code Execution (RCE) (Authenticated)

    Open source ↗
  • Metasploitexploit/multi/http/wp_popular_posts_rce✓ verified
    First seen Jun 11, 2021

    Wordpress Popular Posts Authenticated RCE

    Open source ↗

Related CVEs(same CWE)

Frequently asked(5)

What is CVE-2021-42362?
CVE-2021-42362 is a high vulnerability published on November 17, 2021. The WordPress Popular Posts WordPress plugin is vulnerable to arbitrary file uploads due to insufficient input file type validation found in the ~/src/Image.php file which makes it possible for attackers with contributor level access and above to upload malicious files that can be used to obtain…
When was CVE-2021-42362 disclosed?
CVE-2021-42362 was first published in the National Vulnerability Database on November 17, 2021, with the most recent update on November 21, 2024. EchelonGraph re-ingests CVE updates from NVD on a 2-hour cycle, so this page reflects the latest published state.
Is CVE-2021-42362 actively exploited?
CVE-2021-42362 is not currently on CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. FIRST EPSS estimates a 99.6% percentile likelihood of exploitation in the next 30 days — higher percentiles indicate greater predicted risk.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2021-42362?
CVE-2021-42362 has a CVSS v3 base score of 8.8 (NVD). EchelonGraph synthesises NVD + CISA KEV + FIRST EPSS + GHSA into a combined EG score of 9.0.
How do I remediate CVE-2021-42362?
Patch to the fixed version published by the affected vendor. Where vendor advisories exist for CVE-2021-42362, EchelonGraph cross-links them in the Vendor Advisories panel below — those typically contain the canonical remediation steps, fixed version numbers, and any vendor-specific mitigations.

Dependency Blast Radius

Explore the affected products and dependency analysis for CVE-2021-42362

Explore →

Is Your Infrastructure Affected by CVE-2021-42362?

EchelonGraph automatically scans your cloud infrastructure and maps CVE exposure using blast radius analysis.

Start Free Scan →Browse All CVEs