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CVE Record

CVE-2023-40678: WordPress Simple URLs plugin <= 117 - Broken Access Control vulnerability

Missing Authorization vulnerability in Andrew Fiebert Simple URLs simple-urls allows Exploiting Incorrectly Configured Access Control Security Levels.This issue affects Simple URLs: from n/a through <= 117.

MediumCVSS 5.4Not KEV-listedUpdated
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Glexia's TakeAutomated analysismoderate

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

CVE-2023-40678 is a broken access control issue in the WordPress Simple URLs plugin through version 117. An authenticated attacker with low privileges may be able to perform unauthorized actions that affect site data or availability. The public bundle does not show active exploitation or detailed vendor remediation.

Executive priority

Treat as a moderate-priority WordPress exposure. It is not shown as actively exploited, but authenticated access control bugs can support site tampering or disruption. Prioritize sites with many contributors, customers, or other low-privileged users.

Technical view

The issue is classified as CWE-862 Missing Authorization. CVSS 3.1 is 5.4: network reachable, low complexity, low privileges required, no user interaction, unchanged scope, no confidentiality impact, and low integrity and availability impact.

Likely exposure

Exposure is likely limited to WordPress sites running the Simple URLs plugin through version 117, especially where untrusted or low-privileged accounts exist. The bundle has incomplete affected-version metadata, so confirm installed plugin identity and version directly.

Exploitation context

The CVE is not listed as KEV in the provided bundle. No cited source in the bundle confirms active exploitation, exploit availability, affected endpoints, or operational attack details. The CVSS vector indicates exploitation requires authenticated low-privileged access.

Researcher notes

Public evidence names missing authorization but does not provide endpoint-level detail, a fixed version, or exploit confirmation. Validate impact in an authorized test environment without weaponizing. The affected-version metadata is partly inconsistent, so source confirmation matters.

Mitigation direction

  • Inventory WordPress sites for the Simple URLs plugin and version.
  • Check the vendor, WordPress plugin page, or Patchstack for current remediation guidance.
  • Update the plugin if a fixed release is available from trusted sources.
  • Restrict or remove unnecessary low-privileged WordPress accounts.
  • Disable the plugin where exposure is confirmed and no fix is available.

Validation and detection

  • Confirm whether Simple URLs is installed on each WordPress site.
  • Record installed plugin versions and compare against through version 117.
  • Review user roles for unnecessary authenticated access.
  • Check administrative logs for unexpected Simple URLs changes.
  • Verify any update or disablement in staging before production rollout.
Prepared
Confidence
medium
Sources
3

Public sources used

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.

Potential ATT&CK relevance

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 · medium confidence lookup

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.

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cve · low confidence lookup

CVE-2023-40678 mapping review

Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.

Open ATT&CK lookup
Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
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

Official CVE source material

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.

1CVSS vectors
3Timeline events
1ADP providers
2Source links

SSVC decision data

CISA-ADPCISA Coordinator
Timestamp
Version
2.0.3
Exploitation: noneAutomatable: noTechnical Impact: partial

CVSS vector scores

1 official score

We 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.

ScoreVersionSeverityVectorExploitImpactSource
5.4CVSS 3.1MediumCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:L2.82.5Patchstack

Vulnerability scoring details

Base CVSS 3.1 score

5.4Medium
CVSS 3.1 vector shape for CVE-2023-40678Attack VectorAttack ComplexityPrivileges RequiredUser InteractionScopeConfidentiality ImpactIntegrity ImpactAvailability Impact

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:L

Attack Vector
NetworkAdjacentLocalPhysical
Attack Complexity
LowHigh
Privileges Required
NoneLowHigh
User Interaction
NoneRequired
Scope
ChangedUnchanged
Confidentiality Impact
HighLowNone
Integrity Impact
HighLowNone
Availability Impact
HighLowNone

Vulnerability timeline

Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.

  1. CVE reservedCVE Program

    The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.

  2. CVE publishedCVE Program

    The CVE record was published.

  3. CVE updatedCVE Program

    The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.

ADP provider summaries

CISA-ADPCISA ADP Vulnrichment
other:ssvc

Source materials

Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
Andrew FiebertSimple URLssimple-urls, 0unaffected
Weakness

CWE details

CWE-862

CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.