PodsWordPress extension · Podsfoundation
CVE-2023-6999
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 Pods – Custom Content Types and Fields plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Remote Code Exxecution via shortcode in all versions up to, and including, 3.0.10 (with the exception of 2.7.31.2, 2.8.23.2, 2.9.19.2). This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with contributor level access or higher, to execute code on the server.
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 Pods WordPress plugin contains an authenticated Remote Code Execution vulnerability via its shortcode functionality. Attackers with contributor-level access or higher can inject and execute arbitrary server-side code through specially crafted shortcode inputs, potentially leading to complete server compromise.
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
PodsWordPress extension
< 2.7.31.2>= 2.8, < 2.8.23.2>= 2.9, < 2.9.19.2>= 3.0.0, < 3.0.10.2CVSS 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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify Pods plugin installation and versionCheck the installed version via WordPress admin (Plugins > Installed Plugins > Pods) or by reading the plugin header in wp-content/plugins/pods/readme.txt, or run `wp plugin get pods` if WP-CLI is availableAffected if The installed version is any of the following: < 2.7.31.2, >= 2.8.0 and < 2.8.23.2, >= 2.9.0 and < 2.9.19.2, or >= 3.0.0 and < 3.0.10.2
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Verify user account privilegesList all WordPress user accounts and their assigned roles via WordPress admin (Users > All Users) or run `wp user list --fields=user_login,role`Affected if Any account exists with a role of contributor, author, editor, administrator, or any custom role that includes contributor-level or higher capabilities
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Confirm shortcode functionality is accessibleVerify the Pods shortcode '[pods]' is callable. This is a core plugin feature enabled by default; check if the plugin is active and not disabled via plugin settingsAffected if The Pods plugin is active and the shortcode functionality is not explicitly disabled in plugin configuration
You are affected if the installed Pods plugin version falls within the vulnerable ranges AND at least one user account has contributor-level or higher access to execute shortcodes.
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.
dbcve · scoped2.7.31.22.8.23.22.9.19.2
Update the Pods plugin to the latest version (beyond 3.0.10) or one of the patched versions (2.7.31.2, 2.8.23.2, 2.9.19.2). Review and limit WordPress user roles to minimize the number of accounts with contributor-level or higher permissions.
Upgrade to Pods plugin version 3.0.10.2 or later (or the latest 2.x release in your branch: 2.7.31.2, 2.8.23.2, or 2.9.19.2)
- 1. Log in to the WordPress admin dashboard with administrator privileges
- 2. Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins
- 3. Locate the 'Pods – Custom Content Types and Fields' plugin
- 4. If an update is available, click 'Update Now' to update to the latest secure version
- 5. Alternatively, download the latest version from the WordPress plugin repository and upload it via Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin
- 6. After updating, verify the plugin is running on version 2.7.31.2, 2.8.23.2, 2.9.19.2, or 3.0.10.2 or higher
- 7. Ensure contributor-level users do not have untrusted access to the WordPress admin area until the patch is applied
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
Fix this in Pods
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,224.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-6999 — 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-2023-6999 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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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.
- 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