CVE-2023-0505Public exploitNetwork attack vector

Arbitrary plugin activation via nonce-free AJAX request

Published Mar 27, 2023 · Updated Feb 19, 2025

Cross-site request forgery in HasThemes Ever Compare 1.2.3 and earlier allows remote attackers to activate installed WordPress plugins. The ever-compare_ajax_plugin_activation WordPress AJAX action accepts a caller-controlled plugin location and activates it without verifying a CSRF nonce. Exploitation requires a logged-in administrator to submit the forged request, and its demonstrated consequence is activation of a plugin already present on the site.

CVSS severity4.3
Medium
EPSS probability0.25%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Cross-site request forgery in HasThemes Ever Compare 1.2.3 and earlier allows remote attackers to activate installed WordPress plugins. The ever-compare_ajax_plugin_activation WordPress AJAX action accepts a caller-controlled plugin location and activates it without verifying a CSRF nonce. Exploitation requires a logged-in administrator to submit the forged request, and its demonstrated consequence is activation of a plugin already present on the site.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-0505
Published
Mar 27, 2023
Updated
Feb 19, 2025
Vendor
HasThemes
Product
Ever Compare
Classifications
CWE-352, T1204
Attack vector
network
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Mar 27, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Feb 19, 2025Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=0 <=1.2.3

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

HasThemes · Ever Compareversion=0 <=1.2.3

Published CVSS scores

4.3CISA-ADPCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N
4.3NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitPublished

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-352Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF)
T1204User Execution

Public exploit references

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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