GroundhoggWordPress extension
CVE-2023-2716
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 · uneditedThe Groundhogg plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized access of data and modification of data due to a missing capability check on the 'ajax_upload_file' function in versions up to, and including, 2.7.9.8. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with subscriber-level access and above, to upload a file to the contact, and then lists all the other uploaded files related to the contact.
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 confidenceThe Groundhogg WordPress plugin has a broken access control vulnerability in the ajax_upload_file function. Authenticated users with subscriber-level permissions (the lowest WordPress role) can upload arbitrary files to contacts and enumerate all previously uploaded files associated with those contacts, due to a missing capability check.
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
GroundhoggWordPress extension
<= 2.7.9.8CVSS 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
- Low
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:N
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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Confirm Groundhogg plugin is installedLocate the Groundhogg plugin directory in your WordPress installation at /wp-content/plugins/groundhogg/ or check via WordPress admin under Plugins > Installed PluginsAffected if Groundhogg plugin is present in the WordPress installation
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Identify the installed Groundhogg versionOpen the main plugin file (usually groundhogg.php) in the plugin directory and locate the version defined in the plugin header comment, or check the version displayed in the WordPress admin plugins listAffected if The installed version is 2.7.9.8 or lower
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Verify the vulnerable ajax_upload_file function existsSearch the Groundhogg plugin files for the function named ajax_upload_file - typically found in includes/ajax.php or similar AJAX handler files within the pluginAffected if The ajax_upload_file function is present in the codebase without capability checks
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Check if subscriber-level users can access the AJAX endpointReview the WordPress user roles in the admin panel under Users > Roles, or inspect the plugin code to verify that the ajax_upload_file action is registered without a capability check like current_user_can()Affected if Subscriber-role users have access to the ajax_upload_file AJAX endpoint without proper authorization
If Groundhogg version 2.7.9.8 or lower is installed and the ajax_upload_file function is accessible to subscriber-level users without capability verification, the environment is affected by CVE-2023-2716.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 dataUpdate to Groundhogg version 2.7.9.9 or later which implements proper capability verification (e.g., current_user_can()) on the ajax_upload_file function to ensure only authorized users can access this functionality.
Fix this in Groundhogg
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,376.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-2716 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2023-2716 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- 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