Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
A WordPress plugin used for registration/profile shortcodes has a stored XSS flaw in versions up to 3.5.7. An administrator-level user could store script content that later runs when another user views it. Business risk is moderate because compromise requires high privileges and user interaction, but successful abuse can affect confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
Executive priority
Treat as a scheduled remediation item for affected WordPress sites, not an emergency based on current evidence. Prioritize faster where administrator accounts are shared, weakly protected, or exposed to phishing risk.
Technical view
CVE-2023-23818 is a CWE-79 stored cross-site scripting issue in Aviplugins.com WP Register Profile With Shortcode <= 3.5.7. The CVSS 3.1 score is 5.9 with network access, low complexity, high privileges, required user interaction, changed scope, and low C/I/A impact. The source bundle does not identify a fixed version.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited to WordPress sites running WP Register Profile With Shortcode version 3.5.7 or earlier. The listed default status is unaffected, and no CPEs are provided, so inventory confirmation must rely on plugin presence and version data.
Exploitation context
The source bundle lists KEV as false and provides no cited evidence of active exploitation. Abuse requires an authenticated administrator-level actor and a victim interaction, reducing broad opportunistic risk but not eliminating insider, compromised-admin, or chained-attack scenarios.
Researcher notes
The evidence supports stored XSS with admin+ privileges in versions <= 3.5.7. Patch status and exact vulnerable parameters are not provided in the bundle. Avoid assuming exploitation or a fix without vendor confirmation.
Mitigation direction
- Inventory WordPress sites for this plugin and version.
- Check vendor, WordPress, or Patchstack guidance for a fixed release.
- Update the plugin if a fixed version is available.
- Disable or remove the plugin where it is not required.
- Restrict administrator access and review accounts for compromise.
Validation and detection
- Confirm installed plugin version on each WordPress site.
- Verify whether the vulnerable plugin is active or unused.
- Review admin users and recent privileged account activity.
- Check web logs for suspicious admin-side content changes.
- Document any compensating controls if no patch is available.
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-79: User-session and phishing behavior lookup
Client-side and session-facing weaknesses should be reviewed alongside initial-access and user-execution behaviors. 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 lookupCVE-2023-23818 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
- 5.9 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:C/C:L/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:H/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:L1.73.7Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
5.9MediumVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:L
Source materials
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.
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting')
Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.