Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2023-0259 is a high-severity SQL injection in the WP Google Review Slider WordPress plugin before 11.8. A low-privileged authenticated user, including a subscriber, could abuse unsafe database handling to affect site data confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
Executive priority
Prioritize remediation on public WordPress sites and any site with open registration. The issue can affect database confidentiality, integrity, and availability, but current sources do not prove active exploitation.
Technical view
The plugin failed to sanitize and escape a parameter before using it in a SQL statement, creating CWE-89 SQL injection. The CVSS 3.1 score is 8.8, with network access, low complexity, low privileges, and no user interaction required.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited to WordPress sites running WP Google Review Slider before version 11.8, especially sites allowing subscriber accounts or public registration. The source bundle does not identify a specific vendor beyond the plugin name.
Exploitation context
WPScan marks the issue with an exploit reference, but the source bundle does not show CISA KEV listing or active exploitation evidence. Treat it as practically exploitable by authenticated low-privilege users, not as confirmed in-the-wild exploitation.
Researcher notes
The key missing details are the exact vulnerable parameter and vendor advisory context. Use the CVE and WPScan entries for scoping, but avoid assuming affected forks, bundled copies, or exploitation telemetry not present in the sources.
Mitigation direction
- Update WP Google Review Slider to version 11.8 or later.
- Restrict subscriber account creation until affected sites are updated.
- Remove the plugin if it is unused or cannot be updated.
- Review vendor or plugin repository guidance for any additional remediation.
- Back up and inspect database integrity after suspected exposure.
Validation and detection
- Inventory WordPress sites for WP Google Review Slider installations.
- Confirm installed plugin versions are 11.8 or later.
- Check whether public registration or untrusted subscriber accounts are enabled.
- Review application and database logs for unusual authenticated plugin activity.
- Verify the plugin remains functional after update in staging or production.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-89: Database access and collection lookup
Injection into data stores can inform collection, data access, and exfiltration detection reviews. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupDatabase behavior lookup
The CVE wording references database injection or access, so collection and exfiltration review may help. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2023-0259 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- High
- CVSS
- 8.8 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H2.85.9Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
8.8HighVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://wpscan.com/vulnerability/d3bb0eac-1f4e-4191-8f3b-104a5bb54558CVE reference · exploit, vdb-entry
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.