Unauthenticated site takeover via unchecked event dispatch
Published Jul 27, 2023 · Updated Apr 8, 2026
Missing authorization in InstaWP Connect 0.0.9.18 and earlier allows remote attackers to alter WordPress sites through a REST endpoint. The events_receiver function dispatches privileged WordPress operations without checking the caller's capabilities. No authentication is required; successful requests can alter or delete content and users, create an administrator, change customizer settings, or manage plugins.
Summary
What happened
Missing authorization in InstaWP Connect 0.0.9.18 and earlier allows remote attackers to alter WordPress sites through a REST endpoint. The events_receiver function dispatches privileged WordPress operations without checking the caller's capabilities. No authentication is required; successful requests can alter or delete content and users, create an administrator, change customizer settings, or manage plugins.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2023-3956
- Published
- Jul 27, 2023
- Updated
- Apr 8, 2026
- Vendor
- InstaWP
- Product
- InstaWP Connect
- Classifications
- T1098
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jul 27, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Apr 8, 2026Record 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.
- Affected versionversion=0 <=0.0.9.18
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
No public exploit references are available in this record.
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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