Cyber Resilience

CVE-2024-13545

Path Traversal in G5Plus Ultimate Bootstrap Elements For Elementor ≤ 1.4.9

Published
24 January 2025
Modified
05 February 2025
Patch / advisory
CVSS Score v3.1 9.8
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS Score 0.013 67th percentile
Risk Priority 77 floored blend · peak EPSS

Summary

CVE-2024-13545 is a critical-severity Path Traversal (CWE-22) vulnerability in G5Plus Ultimate Bootstrap Elements For Elementor. Its CVSS base score is 9.8 (Critical).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploit Public-Facing Application (T1190); ranked in the top 33% 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-2024-13545 is a Local File Inclusion (LFI) vulnerability affecting the Bootstrap Ultimate theme for WordPress in all versions up to and including 1.4.9. The flaw exists via the path parameter, which allows unauthenticated attackers to include arbitrary PHP files on the server, leading to the execution of PHP code within those files. Associated with CWE-22, it carries a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H), indicating critical severity due to its network accessibility, low complexity, and potential for high confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts.

Unauthenticated attackers can exploit this vulnerability remotely without privileges or user interaction. By manipulating the path parameter, they can include and execute PHP files, enabling bypass of access controls, theft of sensitive data, or code execution—particularly if PHP file uploads are possible elsewhere on the site. If the server has php://filter enabled, exploitation may directly result in Remote Code Execution (RCE).

Advisories and technical details are available from sources including the Wordfence threat intelligence page (https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/ae07af10-e5fc-4f28-a343-f56c0e2bc324?source=cve) and the vulnerable code location in the theme's documentation (https://themes.trac.wordpress.org/browser/bootstrap-ultimate/1.4.9/docs/index.php#L8). Security practitioners should consult these for specific mitigation guidance, such as updating the theme beyond version 1.4.9 if patches are available.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

The Bootstrap Ultimate theme for WordPress is vulnerable to Local File Inclusion in all versions up to, and including, 1.4.9 via the path parameter. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to include PHP files on the server, allowing the…

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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 PHP files can be uploaded and included. If php://filter is enabled on the server, this issue may directly lead to Remote Code Execution.

CWE(s)

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1190 Exploit Public-Facing Application Initial Access
Adversaries may attempt to exploit a weakness in an Internet-facing host or system to initially access a network.
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2024-43140Same product: G5Plus Ultimate Bootstrap Elements For Elementor
CVE-2024-37462Same product: G5Plus Ultimate Bootstrap Elements For Elementor
CVE-2023-47178Same product class: WordPress / CMS plugin
CVE-2024-10625Same product class: WordPress / CMS plugin
CVE-2024-35634Same product class: WordPress / CMS plugin
CVE-2023-47679Same product class: WordPress / CMS plugin
CVE-2025-2328Same product class: WordPress / CMS plugin
CVE-2024-33541Same product class: WordPress / CMS plugin
CVE-2024-5349Same product class: WordPress / CMS plugin
CVE-2025-1769Same product class: WordPress / CMS plugin

Affected Assets

g5plus
ultimate bootstrap elements for elementor
≤ 1.4.9

Mitigating Controls

Control response

Prevent
Stop it (NIST 800-53)

Detect
Catch it (NIST detect / respond)

Harden
Shrink the surface (DISA STIG)

Validate
Prove the fix (OWASP ASVS)
  • 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.

PR.PS-02 partial match
prevents

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 none match
prevents

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.

finds

Security testing in development catches path traversal via static/dynamic analysis.

prevents

Secure SDLC mandates input validation and path sanitization that directly prevent path traversal.

prevents

Application security requirements include rules for safe file handling and canonicalization.

prevents

Secure architecture principles require least-privilege file access and directory isolation.

prevents

Secure coding standards explicitly forbid unsafe path construction and mandate safe APIs.

mitigates

Information access restriction limits which files an application may read or write.

References