Analyst readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
Footer Putter for WordPress has a stored cross-site scripting flaw in versions through 1.17. A lower-privileged authenticated user could save unsafe content that later runs in another user's browser when viewed. Business risk is mainly site integrity, administrator trust, and potential session or content tampering exposure.
Executive priority
Treat this as a moderate-priority WordPress plugin issue. Prioritize public or multi-user WordPress sites, especially where non-admin users can influence footer content or plugin-managed settings.
Technical view
CVE-2023-52188 is CWE-79 stored XSS caused by improper neutralization during web page generation in Russell Jamieson's Footer Putter plugin through 1.17. CVSS 3.1 is 6.5: network reachable, low complexity, low privileges required, user interaction required, changed scope, and low confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited to WordPress sites with the Footer Putter plugin installed at version 1.17 or earlier. The provided sources do not identify affected configuration details beyond the plugin and version range.
Exploitation context
The CVE is not listed as KEV, and the supplied bundle does not provide evidence of active exploitation. Exploitation requires low privileges and user interaction, suggesting risk is higher on sites with multiple content, admin, or plugin-management users.
Researcher notes
The source bundle establishes stored XSS, affected versions through 1.17, CVSS 6.5, CWE-79, and no KEV listing. It does not provide proof-of-concept details, exploitation telemetry, or a named fixed version, so remediation should track vendor or Patchstack guidance.
Mitigation direction
- Inventory WordPress sites for the Footer Putter plugin and version.
- Check vendor, WordPress, or Patchstack guidance for a fixed version.
- Update if a fixed release is available from trusted sources.
- Disable or remove the plugin where no supported fix is available.
- Limit plugin/content administration to trusted accounts only.
- Review suspicious footer content or recent plugin-setting changes.
Validation and detection
- Confirm whether Footer Putter is installed on each WordPress site.
- Verify installed versions are not 1.17 or earlier.
- Review plugin-managed footer output for unexpected script-like content.
- Check recent changes by low-privileged WordPress users.
- After remediation, confirm the plugin remains functional without unsafe stored content.
Public sources used
Based on public source material and reviewed before publication.
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-2023-52188 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
- 6.5 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/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:L/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:L2.33.7Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
6.5MediumVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/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.