Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2023-48745 is a captcha bypass issue in the WordPress Captcha Code plugin through version 2.9. A remote unauthenticated attacker may bypass protection intended to limit excessive authentication attempts. The direct impact is integrity-related, not data theft or service outage in the CVSS record.
Executive priority
Treat this as a moderate-priority exposure issue for WordPress estates. It does not indicate direct data disclosure, but it can weaken defenses against automated login abuse. Prioritize internet-facing or high-value WordPress sites first.
Technical view
The CVE describes CWE-307, Improper Restriction of Excessive Authentication Attempts, affecting WebFactory Ltd Captcha Code through 2.9. CVSS 3.1 is 5.3: network reachable, low complexity, no privileges, no user interaction, unchanged scope, no confidentiality or availability impact, and low integrity impact.
Likely exposure
Exposure is likely limited to WordPress sites running the Captcha Code plugin at version 2.9 or earlier and relying on it to restrict automated authentication attempts. Sites without this plugin, or with versions outside the affected range, are not indicated as affected in the provided sources.
Exploitation context
The source bundle does not show CISA KEV listing or confirmed active exploitation. Because the weakness is network reachable and requires no authentication or user interaction, it is plausible for internet-facing WordPress login surfaces to face increased automated abuse if affected.
Researcher notes
Evidence is limited to the CVE metadata and Patchstack reference. The bundle does not provide exploit details, a fixed version, or confirmed exploitation. Avoid assuming broader WordPress products are affected without separate evidence.
Mitigation direction
- Inventory WordPress sites for the Captcha Code plugin and installed version.
- Prioritize sites running Captcha Code version 2.9 or earlier.
- Check WebFactory and Patchstack guidance for a fixed version or official mitigation.
- Disable or replace the plugin if no maintained remediation is available.
- Use layered login protections where business risk is high.
Validation and detection
- Confirm plugin presence and version from WordPress administration or asset inventory.
- Review authentication protections that depend on Captcha Code.
- Check logs for unusual failed-login volume or captcha-related anomalies.
- Verify remediation against vendor or Patchstack guidance once available.
- Document affected sites, remediation status, and residual compensating controls.
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-307: Exact CWE lookup
Use the exact CWE identifier as the starting point before reviewing related ATT&CK behavior. 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-2023-48745 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
- 5.3 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N
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:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N3.91.4Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
5.3MediumVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N
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 Restriction of Excessive Authentication Attempts
Improper Restriction of Excessive Authentication Attempts represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.