Unauthenticated file upload leading to remote code execution; affects a widely-used WordPress plugin, risking many sites.
CVE-2021-47940
Unauthenticated arbitrary file upload in WP Plugin Download From Files <=1.48.
Is CVE-2021-47940 being exploited?
Not confirmed. CVE-2021-47940 does not appear in CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog, which records only exploitation that has been observed and reported publicly. That is evidence of absence of a report, not evidence the flaw is unattacked. EPSS currently estimates a 0.40% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
How severe is CVE-2021-47940?
CVE-2021-47940 is rated Critical with a CVSS score of 9.3. Severity describes how bad exploitation would be, not how likely it is: pair it with exploitation evidence before deciding what to patch first.
Is there a patch for CVE-2021-47940?
Not known from our data. No patch reference has been recorded for CVE-2021-47940, which is not the same as no patch existing — a fix may have shipped without a tagged reference, or after this record was written. The vendor advisory is the only authority on whether a fix exists, and mitigations may be available regardless.
What does CVE-2021-47940 affect?
CVE-2021-47940 affects WordPress Plugin Download From Files <=1.48. Confirm the exact affected versions against the vendor advisory before deciding you are exposed.
What should I do about CVE-2021-47940?
Upgrade/remove plugin; monitor for patch or vendor advisory.
Exploitation status reflects CISA's KEV catalog as we last synced it. Check the catalog directly.
Attacker uploads PHP shells via admin-ajax.php, bypassing allowExt to achieve remote code execution on the server.
Immediate action required
- affected<= 1.48
As published in the CVE Program record. A version outside these ranges is not a statement that it is unaffected — vendors sometimes understate a range, and distribution-backported builds carry upstream numbers that do not reflect what was patched into them.