dbcve.org
File Manager Advanced ShortcodeWordPress extension · Advancedfilemanager

CVE-2023-7061

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-07-10
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to after 2.5.3 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
The Advanced File Manager Shortcodes plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to arbitrary file uploads in all versions up to, and including, 2.5.3. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers with contributor access or above to upload arbitrary files on the affected site's server which may make remote code execution possible.

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 confidence

The Advanced File Manager Shortcodes WordPress plugin (versions up to 2.5.3) lacks proper file type validation during upload operations, allowing authenticated users with contributor-level permissions or higher to upload arbitrary files to the server. This arbitrary file upload capability can be leveraged to achieve remote code execution.

MitigationUpdate the Advanced File Manager Shortcodes plugin to a version beyond 2.5.3. Also audit the site for any unauthorized files that may have been uploaded exploiting this vulnerability.

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
File Manager Advanced ShortcodeWordPress extension
Affected:<= 2.5.3

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. Identify if the Advanced File Manager Shortcode plugin is installed
    Check the plugins directory (wp-content/plugins/) for a folder named 'advancedfilemanager' or 'file-manager-advanced-shortcode', or query the WordPress database: SELECT option_value FROM wp_options WHERE option_name = 'active_plugins';
    Affected if The plugin appears in the active plugins list or exists in the plugins directory.
  2. Determine the installed plugin version
    Check the plugin's main PHP file header for the Version field, or query: SELECT option_value FROM wp_options WHERE option_name LIKE '%advancedfilemanager%version%'; Review the readme.txt file in the plugin folder for the Stable Tag entry.
    Affected if The version is 2.5.3 or lower.
  3. Verify if contributor-level or higher user accounts exist
    Query the wp_usermeta table for users with wp_capabilities containing 'contributor', 'author', 'editor', or 'administrator': SELECT user_id, meta_value FROM wp_usermeta WHERE meta_key = 'wp_capabilities';
    Affected if Any user account with contributor-level (or higher) permissions exists on the site.
  4. Inspect upload directories for suspicious files
    Examine wp-content/uploads/ and any custom upload directories for unfamiliar PHP files, scripts, or files with double extensions (e.g., shell.php.jpg). Use file system commands: find /path/to/wp-content/uploads -name '*.php' -o -name '*.phtml' -o -name '*.phar';
    Affected if Unexpected PHP files or executable scripts are present in upload directories that were not intentionally uploaded through legitimate site functions.
  5. Review recent file upload activity in access logs
    Search web server access logs (Apache/nginx) for POST requests to /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php or the plugin's upload endpoints containing 'upload' or 'filemanager' in the URI. Look for unusual file extensions in the request body.
    Affected if Upload requests from authenticated users with contributor roles uploaded files with extensions other than allowed types (images, documents, etc.).

You are affected if the plugin version is 2.5.3 or lower, contributor-level or higher user accounts exist, and the file upload functionality has been used to place arbitrary files on the server.

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
Upgrade available Upgrade to a release after 2.5.3
Interim mitigation

Update the Advanced File Manager Shortcodes plugin to a version beyond 2.5.3. Also audit the site for any unauthorized files that may have been uploaded exploiting this vulnerability.

Fix this in File Manager Advanced Shortcode Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
7.0 hours of engineering $1,240
Get the upgrade done

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,984.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2023-7061 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

Get it on GitHub Scan in the browser

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-2023-7061 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

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