Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HCVSS and EPSS are reproduced from their sources (NVD, FIRST EPSS). Risk Priority is our own derived reading, not an NVD score.
Summary
CVE-2024-13409 is a high-severity Path Traversal (CWE-22) vulnerability in Wpwax Post Grid\, Slider \& Carousel Ultimate. Its CVSS base score is 7.5 (High).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Data Obfuscation (T1001); ranked in the top 42% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to AC-3 (Access Enforcement) and SI-10 (Information Input Validation) — see the control section below for these in your framework.
Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary
Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.
CVE-2024-13409 is a Local File Inclusion (LFI) vulnerability (CWE-22) in the Post Grid, Slider & Carousel Ultimate – with Shortcode, Gutenberg Block & Elementor Widget plugin for WordPress. It affects all versions up to and including 1.6.10 and stems from inadequate validation of the 'theme' parameter in the post_type_ajax_handler() function within the plugin's AJAX handler file (includes/classes/ajax.php). The vulnerability has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.5 (AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H).
Authenticated attackers with Contributor-level access or higher can exploit this vulnerability via network-accessible AJAX requests. By manipulating the 'theme' parameter, they can include arbitrary files on the server and execute PHP code within them. This enables bypassing access controls, extracting sensitive data, or achieving remote code execution, particularly if the site allows uploads of "safe" file types like images that contain embedded PHP payloads.
Advisories recommend updating to version 1.7 or later, where the issue is addressed as shown in WordPress plugin trac changeset 3227281 for the AJAX handler. Further details are available in the Wordfence threat intelligence report and the plugin's source code repositories, including the vulnerable code in tag 1.6.10.
OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2024-51586
Vulnerability Data
The Post Grid, Slider & Carousel Ultimate – with Shortcode, Gutenberg Block & Elementor Widget plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Local File Inclusion in all versions up to, and including, 1.6.10 via the 'theme' parameter of the post_type_ajax_handler() function.…
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This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Contributor-level access and above, to include and execute arbitrary files on the server, allowing the execution of any PHP code in those files. This can be used to bypass access controls, obtain sensitive data, or achieve code execution in cases where images and other “safe” file types can be uploaded and included.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Control response
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V5.3.2
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI
Enforces the intended directory access authorizations that path traversal would otherwise bypass.
Input validation directly neutralizes special path elements before pathname construction occurs.
Least privilege reduces the impact of any unauthorized file access obtained via traversal.
Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Patching/maintenance can remediate known path-traversal flaws in deployed software (partial prevention of exploitability) but does nothing to stop the coding defect from being introduced in the first place.
PR.AA-05 defines and reviews access policies but does not address code-level pathname neutralization, so neither direction prevents CWE-22.
Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.