Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2023-49859 affects the WordPress Login With Ajax plugin through version 4.1. The reported issue is missing authorization, meaning some action may be allowed without the intended permission check. The published impact is limited integrity risk, not data theft or outage.
Executive priority
Treat as a routine but time-bound WordPress plugin remediation item. It is not supported as actively exploited by the provided sources, but public-facing WordPress plugins are commonly exposed and should not remain outdated.
Technical view
The source describes CWE-862 missing authorization in Marcus/@msykes Login With Ajax, package login-with-ajax, through <=4.1. CVSS 3.1 is 4.3 with network access, low complexity, no privileges required, user interaction required, unchanged scope, and low integrity impact only.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited to WordPress sites running the Login With Ajax plugin at version 4.1 or earlier. The bundle does not identify affected configurations, specific endpoints, or whether the plugin must be actively used on public pages.
Exploitation context
The CVE is not listed as CISA KEV in the bundle, and no cited source states active exploitation. The CVSS vector indicates remote reachability and no privileges, but user interaction is required and the known impact is low integrity only.
Researcher notes
Evidence is sparse: the bundle names missing authorization and CVSS impact but does not provide endpoint details, exploit preconditions, patch version, or proof of active exploitation. The affected version metadata is inconsistent, so use the narrative <=4.1 range and verify with vendor data.
Mitigation direction
- Inventory WordPress sites for Login With Ajax version 4.1 or earlier.
- Check Patchstack and vendor guidance for the supported fixed version or workaround.
- Update the plugin if an official fixed release is available.
- Disable or remove the plugin where business use is not required.
- Review WordPress roles and plugin settings for unnecessary public functionality.
Validation and detection
- Confirm whether login-with-ajax is installed and enabled on each WordPress site.
- Record the installed plugin version and compare it with the <=4.1 affected range.
- Review vendor or Patchstack notes for precise affected behavior.
- Perform permission checks in a safe test environment without using exploit payloads.
- Monitor logs for unusual unauthenticated or low-privilege plugin actions.
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 lookupCVE-2023-49859 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
- 4.3 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/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:R/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N2.81.4Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
4.3MediumVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/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.
Missing Authorization
Missing Authorization represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.