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Unrestricted File UploadWeakness · CWE-434

CVE-2023-23656

CRITICAL · 10.0 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-03-26
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges 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
Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type vulnerability in MainWP MainWP File Uploader Extension.This issue affects MainWP File Uploader Extension: from n/a through 4.1.

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 · moderate confidence

The MainWP File Uploader Extension versions through 4.1 contains an unrestricted file upload vulnerability allowing attackers to upload dangerous file types (such as PHP scripts) without proper validation, potentially leading to remote code execution on the server.

MitigationImplement strict whitelist-based file type validation, verify file MIME types and extensions, store uploads outside the web root, and disable script execution in upload directories.

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

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
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Changed
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/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. Verify MainWP File Uploader Extension is installed
    Check your WordPress plugins directory or plugin management interface for the MainWP File Uploader Extension and note its version number
    Affected if The extension is installed and the version is 4.1 or lower
  2. Confirm the extension is active
    Check the WordPress admin dashboard under Plugins or the MainWP dashboard to verify the File Uploader Extension is activated
    Affected if The extension shows as active in the plugin status
  3. Locate the upload directory configuration
    Check the MainWP settings or wp-content/uploads directory to identify where uploaded files are stored
    Affected if Uploads are stored within the web-accessible document root (typically public_html or htdocs)
  4. Check if script execution is allowed in upload directories
    Inspect the .htaccess file or server configuration in the upload directory for restrictions on executing PHP, JavaScript, or other script files
    Affected if No restrictions exist and .php or other executable files can be run from the upload folder

You are affected if the MainWP File Uploader Extension version 4.1 or lower is installed and active with uploads stored in a web-accessible directory that permits script execution.

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.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Implement strict whitelist-based file type validation, verify file MIME types and extensions, store uploads outside the web root, and disable script execution in upload directories.

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing5.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
17.0 hours of engineering $2,970
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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-2023-23656 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