dbcve.org
Wp Cookie ConsentWordPress extension · Wpeka

CVE-2023-23678

HIGH · 7.2 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-11-07
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 2.2.5 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
Improper Neutralization of Formula Elements in a CSV File vulnerability in WPEkaClub WP Cookie Consent ( for GDPR, CCPA & ePrivacy ).This issue affects WP Cookie Consent ( for GDPR, CCPA & ePrivacy ): from n/a through 2.2.5.

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

This is a CSV injection vulnerability in the WP Cookie Consent WordPress plugin. The plugin exports cookie consent data to CSV files without properly neutralizing formula elements (=, @, +, -). When users open the exported CSV in spreadsheet applications like Excel, maliciously crafted input can execute arbitrary commands or formulas through formula injection.

MitigationUpdate to the latest version of WP Cookie Consent if a patch is available. As a workaround, implement input sanitization to neutralize formula characters (=, @, +, -, -, tab, CR, LF) before exporting to CSV.

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
Wp Cookie ConsentWordPress extension
Affected:<= 2.2.5

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. Verify WP Cookie Consent plugin is installed
    Go to WordPress admin dashboard > Plugins > Installed Plugins and look for 'Wpeka Wp Cookie Consent' or 'WP Cookie Consent' in the list of active plugins.
    Affected if The plugin is installed and active in WordPress.
  2. Check the installed plugin version
    In the Plugins list, click on the plugin details link for WP Cookie Consent and locate the version number displayed there. Compare it to the affected range: any version <= 2.2.5.
    Affected if The installed version is 2.2.5 or lower.
  3. Identify if CSV export feature is in use
    Navigate to the plugin settings page (usually under Settings > Cookie Consent or a dedicated WP Cookie Consent menu item) and look for any export, download, or reporting features that generate CSV files.
    Affected if The CSV export or reporting functionality is enabled or has been used.
  4. Locate and inspect exported CSV files
    Check the WordPress uploads directory (wp-content/uploads/) and any plugin-specific export folders for CSV files generated by the cookie consent plugin. Open the CSV files in a text editor to examine the raw data content.
    Affected if CSV files exist and contain user-supplied data with unneutralized formula characters (=, @, +, -, tab, CR, LF) in fields that could be opened in spreadsheet applications.

A user is affected if the WP Cookie Consent plugin version is 2.2.5 or lower AND the CSV export feature has been used to generate files containing unneutralized formula characters in user input fields.

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 a release after 2.2.5
Interim mitigation

Update to the latest version of WP Cookie Consent if a patch is available. As a workaround, implement input sanitization to neutralize formula characters (=, @, +, -, -, tab, CR, LF) before exporting to CSV.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Upgrade to WP Cookie Consent version 2.2.6 or later (latest available version)

  1. 1. Navigate to the WordPress admin dashboard
  2. 2. Go to Plugins > Installed Plugins
  3. 3. Locate WP Cookie Consent (for GDPR, CCPA & ePrivacy)
  4. 4. If an update is available, click 'Update Now' to upgrade to the latest version which should contain the security fix for the CSV injection vulnerability (CVE-2023-23678)
  5. 5. After updating, verify the plugin is running on version 2.2.6 or later
  6. 6. Test the CSV export functionality to ensure it works correctly after the update

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

Fix this in Wp Cookie Consent Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation3.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
8.0 hours of engineering $1,420
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,272.

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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-2023-23678 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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