CVE-2021-24180: Unvalidated input and lack of output encoding within the Related Posts for WordPress plugin before 2.0.4 lead

Q: How do I fix CVE-2021-24180?

related posts: upgrade to 2.0.4. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Q: Is CVE-2021-24180 being exploited?

CVE-2021-24180 is not on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list at the time of the last update. Check again, as this can change.

Q: What does CVE-2021-24180 affect?

CVE-2021-24180 affects related posts. Severity is medium (CVSS 5.4). Unvalidated input and lack of output encoding within the Related Posts for WordPress plugin before 2.0.4 lead to a Reflected Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability within the 'lang' GET parameter while editing a post, triggered when users

Q: How urgent is CVE-2021-24180?

Priority 36/100. Public exploit reference

Routine

MEDIUM 5.4UPGRADE

CVE-2021-24180 is a medium-severity flaw (CVSS 5.4) affecting related posts. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

Unvalidated input and lack of output encoding within the Related Posts for WordPress plugin before 2.0.4 lead to a Reflected Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability within the 'lang' GET parameter while editing a post, triggered when users with the capability of editing posts access a malicious URL.

Why this priority

Public exploit reference

A fixed release or distro patch exists.

Risk facts

CVSS score	5.4 (Medium)
Attack vector	Network (remote)
Attack complexity	Low
Privileges needed	Low
User interaction	Required
EPSS exploit chance	0.6% (top 50%)
CISA exploited list	No
Weakness	CWE-79
Published	2021-04-05
Last modified	2026-06-17

Publisher (CNA): WPScan · Vendor: never5

Last updated 2026-06-17 · Sources: CVE Program, NVD, CISA KEV, EPSS and vendor advisories · How we score

Am I affected?

Timeline

2021-04-05 19:15 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-06-17 03:39 UTCUpdated Record last modified

never5 related posts UPGRADE

Affected: < 2.0.4

Fixed in: 2.0.4

Safe to downgrade to: no unaffected older release

1. Check installed version

apt-cache policy related-posts || rpm -q related-posts || related-posts --version

2. UPGRADE to 2.0.4 (Debian / Ubuntu)

sudo apt update && sudo apt install --only-upgrade related-posts

2. UPGRADE (RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora)

sudo dnf upgrade related-posts

Note

Distros often backport fixes without changing the version number. Confirm with the distro advisory or changelog.

Verify at the official source NVD · CVE Program · Report a problem with this page
Scores and fixes here are computed automatically from those and other public sources. Confirm with the vendor advisory before changing production systems.

Quick answers

How do I fix CVE-2021-24180?

related posts: upgrade to 2.0.4. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Is CVE-2021-24180 being exploited?

CVE-2021-24180 is not on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list at the time of the last update. Check again, as this can change.

What does CVE-2021-24180 affect?

CVE-2021-24180 affects related posts. Severity is medium (CVSS 5.4). Unvalidated input and lack of output encoding within the Related Posts for WordPress plugin before 2.0.4 lead to a Reflected Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability within the 'lang' GET parameter while editing a post, triggered when users

How urgent is CVE-2021-24180?

Priority 36/100. Public exploit reference

Software pages

WordPress vulnerabilities

Related CVEs

CVE-2024-0592 MEDIUM 5.4 UPGRADE The Related Posts for WordPress plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Cross-Site Request Forgery in all versio
CVE-2022-3506 MEDIUM 5.4 UPGRADE Cross-site Scripting (XSS) - Stored in GitHub repository barrykooij/related-posts-for-wp prior to 2.1.3.
CVE-2021-24482 MEDIUM 4.8 UPGRADE The Related Posts for WordPress plugin through 2.0.4 does not sanitise its heading_text and CSS settings, allo
CVE-2015-9361 MEDIUM 6.1 UPGRADE The Related Posts plugin before 1.8.2 for WordPress has XSS via add_query_arg() and remove_query_arg().
CVE-2013-3477 MEDIUM 6.8 UPGRADE Cross-site request forgery (CSRF) vulnerability in the Related Posts by Zemanta plugin before 1.3.2 for WordPr

References

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