CVE-2021-24212
Confirmed PUBLISHEDWooCommerce Help Scout < 2.9.1 - Unauthenticated Arbitrary File Upload leading to RCE
Not yet in CISA KEV
Recommended Action
Prioritize immediate patching and validate internet-facing exposure. Monitor for matching exploitation attempts in your environment.
At a Glance
The WooCommerce Help Scout WordPress plugin before 2.9.1 (https://woocommerce.com/products/woocommerce-help-scout/) allows unauthenticated users to upload any files to the site which by default will end up in wp-content/uploads/hstmp.
- CVE Published
- Apr 05, 2021
- Exploitation Reported
- Nov 30, 2025
- CVSS
- 9.8 Critical
- EPSS
- 7.9%
Affected Versions
| Vendor | Product | Version | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown |
WooCommerce Help Scout
|
2.9.1 to < 2.9.1 |
Affected |
CVE References
- wpscan.com/vulnerability/cf9305e8-f5bc-45c3-82db-0ef00f... wpscan.com · CVE Record https://wpscan.com/vulnerability/cf9305e8-f5bc-45c3-82db-0ef00fd46129
- dzv365zjfbd8v.cloudfront.net/changelogs/woocommerce-help-scout/changelog.txt dzv365zjfbd8v.cloudfront.net · CVE Record http://dzv365zjfbd8v.cloudfront.net/changelogs/woocommerce-help-scout...
Recommended Actions
- Prioritize immediate patching and validate internet-facing exposure. Monitor for matching exploitation attempts in your environment.
- Review sensor telemetry for request paths, attacker IPs, and payload patterns that may inform detection and exposure validation.
- Check enrichment artifacts for scanner coverage and available PoCs before rolling remediation validation.
- Use the Pro API to automate enrichment, telemetry, and workflow delivery for VM, SOC, and CTI pipelines.
Known Exploited Vulnerability Sources
Catalogues that list this CVE as a known exploited vulnerability.
Per-source evidence links for KEV attestations are available through the KEVIntel Pro API.
Learn about Pro API access| Source | Added |
|---|---|
| The Shadowserver First | 2025-11-30 00:00 UTC |
| KEVIntel | 2026-07-04 12:15 UTC |
Operational indicators for this CVE are listed on the Detection tab.
Observed Exploitation Attempts
Exploitation attempts against this vulnerability observed first-hand by KEVIntel private honeypots over the last 30 days.
- Attempts Observed
- 67
- Unique Attacker IPs
- 23
- Attacker Countries
- 🇨🇳 🇩🇪 🇪🇪 🇪🇸 🇫🇮 🇫🇷 🇮🇳 🇳🇱 🇹🇷 🇺🇸 🇻🇳
- Sensors Observed
- 4
Exploitation Attempts Over the Last 39 Days
First observed (all time) 2026-06-12 00:32 UTC · Last observed 2026-07-19 02:07 UTC
See more exploitation detail
- Pro — sensor software/region breakdown and 24h/7d window summaries.
- Enterprise — raw attacker IPs, request paths, User-Agents, and payloads.
Indicators of Compromise (IoCs)
Attacker IP IoCs observed in KEVIntel sensors are available to Pro and Enterprise accounts on the Detection tab and through the Pro API.
Learn about Pro API accessObserved Detection Signals (30d)
Aggregate counts from KEVIntel sensor telemetry for this CVE.
- Distinct request paths
- 13
- Distinct User-Agents
- 38
The specific request paths and User-Agents attackers are using are available on Pro and Enterprise plans.
Scanner Artifacts
Nuclei and Metasploit references linked to this CVE.
| Scanner | Reference | Detected |
|---|---|---|
| Nuclei | https://github.com/projectdiscovery/nuclei-templates/blob/main/http/cves/2021/CVE-2021-24212.yaml | Jun 01, 2026 |
Virtual Patch
Compensating WAF rules to help reduce exposure to this CVE. Rule content and deployable vendor exports are available with KEVIntel Enterprise.
KEVIntel does not currently have a virtual patch for this CVE. When available, KEVIntel virtual patches ship as deployable ModSecurity, Cloudflare, and AWS WAF rules.
Enterprise feature. Virtual patch rule content and deployable vendor exports (ModSecurity, Cloudflare, AWS WAF) are available to KEVIntel Enterprise users.
CVSS Scores
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P
Exploitation Status
Exploited in the wild
Recorded 2025-11-30 00:00:00 UTC · The Shadowserver
Active exploitation observed
Recorded 2026-07-04 12:07:51 UTC · KEVIntel sensor
Proof of concept available
Recorded 2026-06-12 14:20:56 UTC · Nuclei Templates
Weaknesses (CWE)
-
Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type
Scanner Integrations
| Scanner | Reference | Detected |
|---|---|---|
| Nuclei | https://github.com/projectdiscovery/nuclei-templates/blob/main/http/cves/2021/CVE-2021-24212.yaml | Jun 01, 2026 |
Potential Proof of Concepts
These PoCs are unverified and could contain malware. Use at your own risk.
nuclei · Created Unknown
Timeline
Key exploitation, disclosure, scanner coverage, and KEV attestation events for this CVE.
-
12:07 UTC 15 days ago12:07 UTC · 15 days ago
Observed by KEVIntel sensors
Evidence-backed exploitation signal
-
14:20 UTC about 1 month ago14:20 UTC · about 1 month ago
Public PoC available
Public proof-of-concept code published
-
00:32 UTC about 1 month ago00:32 UTC · about 1 month ago
Indicators of compromise added (23)
Indicators of compromise recorded
-
15:34 UTC about 2 months ago15:34 UTC · about 2 months ago
Nuclei template available
Scanner coverage available
-
00:00 UTC 8 months ago00:00 UTC · 8 months ago
Added to KEVIntel KEV Feed
High-confidence, third-party attested exploitation
-
18:27 UTC over 5 years ago18:27 UTC · over 5 years ago
CVE published
Vulnerability disclosed publicly
-
00:00 UTC over 5 years ago00:00 UTC · over 5 years ago
CVE ID reserved
Identifier reserved by the CNA
Automate This Intelligence with the Pro API
Confidence scoring, exploit status, sensor telemetry, PoCs, scanner integrations, mentions, and tags are available programmatically for VM, SOC, and CTI workflows.
Pro API Example
GET /api/v2/pro/kevs/CVE-2021-24212
{
"cve_id": "CVE-2021-24212",
"title": "WooCommerce Help Scout < 2.9.1 - Unauthenticated Arbitrary File Upload leadin...",
"affected_vendor": "Unknown",
"affected_product": "WooCommerce Help Scout",
"affected_versions": [
{ "vendor": "...", "product": "...", "status": "affected", "display_label": "..." }
],
"confidence": "Confirmed",
"cvss_score": 9.8,
"epss_score": 0.07908,
"exploit_status": {
"exploited_in_the_wild": true,
"active_exploitation_observed": true
},
"sensor_telemetry": { "...": "Pro API fields" },
"proof_of_concepts": [ "..." ],
"scanner_integrations": [ "..." ]
}