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GeodirectoryApplication · Wpgeodirectory

CVE-2023-0278

HIGH · 7.2 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-02-27
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 2.2.24 or later.
See remediation →
78/100
Remediation priority · High
Remotely reachable Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
The GeoDirectory WordPress plugin before 2.2.24 does not properly sanitise and escape a parameter before using it in a SQL statement, leading to a SQL injection exploitable by high privilege users such as admin.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

The GeoDirectory WordPress plugin before version 2.2.24 contains a SQL injection vulnerability due to improper sanitization and escaping of a parameter before it is used in a SQL query. An attacker with high-privilege access (administrator) can exploit this by injecting malicious SQL code through the vulnerable parameter, potentially allowing unauthorized data access, modification, or deletion.

MitigationUpdate the GeoDirectory plugin to version 2.2.24 or later, which contains the proper sanitization and escaping fixes for the vulnerable SQL parameter.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
GeodirectoryApplication
Affected:< 2.2.24

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
High
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

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

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Confirm GeoDirectory plugin is installed
    In WordPress admin, go to Plugins > Installed Plugins and look for 'GeoDirectory' or 'Wpgeodirectory Geodirectory' in the list of active plugins
    Affected if GeoDirectory plugin is present and active in the WordPress installation
  2. Identify installed GeoDirectory version
    Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins, find GeoDirectory, and note the version number displayed under the plugin name. Alternatively, check the plugin's main PHP file (usually wp-content/plugins/geodirectory/geodirectory.php) for the 'Version' header in the plugin comment block
    Affected if The installed version number is lower than 2.2.24 (e.g., 2.2.23, 2.2.20, etc.)
  3. Verify WordPress user privileges
    Check if any user account with Administrator role exists on the site. In WordPress admin, go to Users > All Users and review the role column for accounts with 'Administrator' role
    Affected if At least one Administrator-level user account exists on the WordPress site (the exploit requires high-privilege access to be exploitable)

A site is affected if GeoDirectory plugin versions below 2.2.24 are installed and active on WordPress, especially when administrator accounts are present.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 2.2.24 or later
Fixed in 2.2.24
Interim mitigation

Update the GeoDirectory plugin to version 2.2.24 or later, which contains the proper sanitization and escaping fixes for the vulnerable SQL parameter.

Recommended fix High confidence

GeoDirectory version 2.2.24

  1. Log in to WordPress admin dashboard
  2. Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins
  3. Find GeoDirectory in the plugin list
  4. Check the current version number to confirm it's below 2.2.24
  5. If an update is available, click 'Update Now' to upgrade to version 2.2.24
  6. Alternatively, download GeoDirectory version 2.2.24 from a trusted source and upload it via Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin
  7. After updating, verify the new version number reflects 2.2.24
  8. Test that the plugin functionality remains working as expected

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Geodirectory Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation1.0 h
  • Implementation1.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
5.0 hours of engineering $860
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,376.

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2023-0278 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data