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JshelpdeskWordPress extension

CVE-2023-23679

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-06-23
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 2.7.7 or later.
See remediation →
94/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
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
Authorization Bypass Through User-Controlled Key vulnerability in JS Help Desk js-support-ticket allows Accessing Functionality Not Properly Constrained by ACLs.This issue affects JS Help Desk: from n/a through 2.7.7.

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 an authorization bypass vulnerability in the JS Help Desk (js-support-ticket) WordPress plugin. The vulnerability stems from improper constraint of access control lists (ACLs) due to a user-controlled key that allows attackers to bypass authentication and access functionality they should not have permission to access. The CVSS 8.8 score indicates high exploitability with significant impact on confidentiality and integrity.

MitigationUpgrade the js-support-ticket plugin to a version beyond 2.7.7 where the authorization bypass is patched. If immediate upgrading is not possible, restrict access to the admin area and disable or limit the affected ticket support functionality pending the update.

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
JshelpdeskWordPress extension
Affected:<= 2.7.7

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
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/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 js-support-ticket plugin is installed
    Navigate to WordPress admin dashboard > Plugins > Installed Plugins. Look for 'JS Help Desk' or 'js-support-ticket' in the plugin list. Check if it shows as 'Active'. Alternatively, check if the directory /wp-content/plugins/js-support-ticket/ exists on the server.
    Affected if The plugin is installed and active, with the directory present at /wp-content/plugins/js-support-ticket/
  2. Determine installed plugin version
    In the WordPress plugins list, click on the plugin name or view the plugin header file (usually plugin.php or js-support-ticket.php in the plugin directory) to read the Version: field. Compare this version number against the affected range: <= 2.7.7
    Affected if The installed version is 2.7.7 or lower
  3. Inspect plugin AJAX action access
    Examine the main plugin PHP file for AJAX hooks (wp_ajax_ and wp_ajax_nopriv_ actions). Look for ticket-related actions such as 'jssupportticket_ajax' or similar ticket submission/process actions. Check if these actions properly validate user permissions before executing sensitive operations.
    Affected if AJAX actions that handle ticket creation, modification, or admin functions are accessible without proper capability checks or rely on client-side keys for authorization
  4. Check ACL configuration for ticket functionality
    Review the plugin's access control settings in WordPress admin under the plugin settings menu. Look for any settings related to 'Guest Ticket Submission', 'Public Ticket Access', or 'User Roles & Permissions'. Identify if the plugin allows unauthenticated or low-privilege users to access ticket management functions.
    Affected if The plugin allows guest users or lower-privileged roles to create or view tickets without authentication, or uses a user-controlled key parameter for access control decisions
  5. Review authentication logic in ticket handler files
    Examine PHP files in the plugin's includes or controllers directories (commonly ticket.php, user.php, or acl.php) for how user authentication is validated. Look for code that uses a key parameter (such as $_GET['key'] or $_POST['key']) to authenticate users instead of WordPress nonces or current_user_can() checks.
    Affected if The authentication logic relies on a key parameter from user input (GET/POST) rather than server-side session validation, allowing ACL bypass

You are affected if the js-support-ticket plugin is installed with version 2.7.7 or lower AND the plugin allows unauthenticated or low-privileged user access to ticket functionality through a user-controlled key parameter.

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 2.7.7
Interim mitigation

Upgrade the js-support-ticket plugin to a version beyond 2.7.7 where the authorization bypass is patched. If immediate upgrading is not possible, restrict access to the admin area and disable or limit the affected ticket support functionality pending the update.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Update to js-support-ticket version 2.7.8 or latest available version

  1. Check the WordPress admin dashboard for plugin updates for js-support-ticket (JS Help Desk)
  2. If an update is available, backup the WordPress site before applying updates
  3. Update js-support-ticket to the latest available version which should contain the security fix for CVE-2023-23679
  4. Verify the update was successful and test that the IDOR vulnerability is no longer exploitable
  5. Ensure the updated plugin version is 2.7.8 or later

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

Fix this in Jshelpdesk Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
11.0 hours of engineering $1,930
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,088.

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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-2023-23679 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