Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
A logged-in WordPress user with subscriber-level access could use Wicked Folders functions meant for administrators to change the plugin’s folder structure. This is not a full site takeover based on the provided CVSS data, but it can disrupt content organization and weaken administrative control on affected sites.
Executive priority
Treat this as a moderate-priority WordPress plugin exposure. It is most urgent for public sites with open registration, customer accounts, or many low-privilege users. Patch during the next normal security maintenance window unless the site has untrusted authenticated users, where faster action is warranted.
Technical view
CVE-2023-0716 is a CWE-862 missing authorization issue in Wicked Folders for WordPress through version 2.18.16. The ajax_edit_folder function lacked a capability check, allowing authenticated low-privilege users to perform folder-management actions intended for administrators. CVSS 3.1 is 5.4 with low integrity and availability impact.
Likely exposure
Exposure is likely limited to WordPress sites running Wicked Folders version 2.18.16 or earlier, especially sites allowing subscriber or other low-privilege accounts from untrusted users.
Exploitation context
The source bundle does not show CISA KEV listing or other evidence of active exploitation. The issue is remotely reachable in WordPress context by authenticated users, requires low privileges, and does not require user interaction.
Researcher notes
The key security flaw is missing capability enforcement around ajax_edit_folder. Validation should focus on authorization boundaries, not payload behavior. The provided sources identify versions through 2.18.16 as affected and reference WordPress Trac code and changeset evidence, but the bundle does not provide active exploitation evidence.
Mitigation direction
- Inventory WordPress sites using the Wicked Folders plugin.
- Upgrade Wicked Folders to a vendor-approved version newer than 2.18.16.
- Restrict subscriber registration where it is not business-required.
- Review low-privilege WordPress accounts for unnecessary access.
- Check vendor and Wordfence guidance for any additional remediation notes.
Validation and detection
- Confirm the installed Wicked Folders version on each WordPress site.
- Verify untrusted users cannot create or alter Wicked Folders structures.
- Review WordPress user lists for unexpected subscriber-level accounts.
- Inspect recent folder-structure changes for suspicious or unexplained activity.
- Confirm the plugin update is deployed across all environments.
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-862: Authorization and privilege behavior lookup
Authorization weaknesses can support privilege escalation and valid-account review, depending on exploit path. 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 lookupPrivilege behavior lookup
The CVE wording references privilege impact, so privilege escalation and authorization behavior review may help. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2023-0716 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
- Medium
- CVSS
- 5.4 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:L
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:N/I:L/A:L2.82.5Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
5.4MediumVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:L
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/3ad60a11-e307-4ec9-9099-091a87ff1d3b?source=cveCVE reference
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/wicked-folders/tags/2.18.16/lib/class-wicked-folders-ajax.phpCVE reference
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset?sfp_email=&sfph_mail=&reponame=&new=2860994%40wicked-folders%2Ftrunk&old=2805161%40wicked-folders%2Ftrunk&sfp_email=&sfph_mail=CVE reference
- https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/3ad60a11-e307-4ec9-9099-091a87ff1d3bCVE reference · x_transferred
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.
Missing Authorization
Missing Authorization represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.