Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
MC4WP, the WordPress Mailchimp plugin, had a missing authorization weakness through version 4.9.9. An unauthenticated network attacker may be able to access information that should require permission. The available sources rate this as medium severity and do not describe data modification, service disruption, or confirmed active exploitation.
Executive priority
Handle in normal vulnerability remediation cadence, prioritized for public WordPress sites that collect or process subscriber data. Escalate if vendor guidance identifies sensitive data exposure or if internal monitoring shows suspicious plugin access.
Technical view
CVE-2023-51682 is a CWE-862 missing authorization issue in ibericode MC4WP, package mailchimp-for-wp, affecting versions through 4.9.9. CVSS 3.1 is 5.3 with network access, low complexity, no privileges, and no user interaction. Impact is limited to confidentiality; integrity and availability are not indicated.
Likely exposure
Public WordPress sites running MC4WP or mailchimp-for-wp version 4.9.9 or earlier are the primary exposure. Sites not using this plugin, or using versions outside the affected range, are not indicated as affected by the provided sources.
Exploitation context
The bundle does not cite CISA KEV listing or active exploitation. It also does not provide exploit details, affected endpoints, or observed attack patterns. Treat this as internet-reachable WordPress plugin exposure with limited confidentiality impact until vendor details clarify scope.
Researcher notes
Evidence is sparse. The sources identify missing authorization and confidentiality impact but do not name specific endpoints, exposed data, exploit prerequisites beyond CVSS, or a confirmed fixed version. Avoid assuming broader compromise without vendor or incident evidence.
Mitigation direction
- Inventory WordPress sites for MC4WP or mailchimp-for-wp installations.
- Check installed plugin versions and flag versions 4.9.9 or earlier.
- Review Patchstack and vendor guidance for the fixed version or official workaround.
- Update affected plugins according to vendor guidance after backup and compatibility testing.
- Restrict administrative access and remove unused WordPress plugins.
Validation and detection
- Confirm plugin presence and version from WordPress admin or asset inventory.
- Verify whether each installation is version 4.9.9 or earlier.
- Check whether the CVE is absent from CISA KEV in the provided bundle.
- Review web logs for unusual unauthenticated access to MC4WP-related routes.
- Document remediation status for each affected WordPress site.
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-2023-51682 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:L/I:N/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:L/I:N/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:L/I:N/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.