CVE-2023-5134 in Easy Registration Forms Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 09/23/2023
The Easy Registration Forms for WordPress is vulnerable to Information Disclosure via the 'erforms_user_meta' shortcode in versions up to, and including, 2.1.1 due to insufficient controls on the information retrievable via the shortcode. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with subscriber-level capabilities or above, to retrieve arbitrary sensitive user meta.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/10/2026
The Easy Registration Forms for WordPress plugin presents a significant information disclosure vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-5134 affecting versions through 2.1.1. This weakness stems from inadequate access controls within the plugin's 'erforms_user_meta' shortcode implementation, which fails to properly validate user permissions when retrieving user metadata. The vulnerability specifically targets authenticated users who possess subscriber-level privileges or higher, creating a pathway for unauthorized information extraction that could compromise user privacy and system security.
The technical flaw resides in the insufficient input validation and access control mechanisms implemented within the shortcode handler. When the 'erforms_user_meta' shortcode processes requests, it does not adequately verify whether the requesting user has proper authorization to access the requested metadata fields. This oversight allows attackers to craft malicious shortcode parameters that can retrieve sensitive information from user profiles, including personal details, registration data, and potentially other confidential metadata stored within the WordPress user meta system. The vulnerability operates under CWE-284 Access Control Issues, specifically manifesting as improper access control within the plugin's shortcode execution context.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure, as it creates opportunities for attackers to gather intelligence about user accounts and potentially facilitate more sophisticated attacks. An authenticated attacker with subscriber privileges can exploit this flaw to extract sensitive user information that might include private communication details, personal identifiers, or other metadata that could be leveraged for social engineering attacks, credential reuse attempts, or privilege escalation within the WordPress environment. The vulnerability essentially undermines the principle of least privilege by allowing users to access information beyond their intended scope.
Security practitioners should implement immediate mitigations including updating to the patched version of the Easy Registration Forms plugin, which addresses the access control weakness through proper validation of user permissions before metadata retrieval. Additionally, administrators should review user roles and permissions to ensure that only necessary capabilities are granted to subscribers and other lower-privilege users. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this vulnerability under T1213 Data from Information Repositories, as it involves unauthorized access to user data repositories through application-level vulnerabilities. Organizations should also consider implementing additional monitoring and logging of shortcode usage patterns to detect potential exploitation attempts and maintain comprehensive audit trails for security incident response activities.