CVE-2023-5583 in WP Simple Galleries Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 10/30/2023
The WP Simple Galleries plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to PHP Object Injection in versions up to, and including, 1.34 via deserialization of untrusted input from the 'wpsimplegallery_gallery' post meta via 'wpsgallery' shortcode. This allows authenticated attackers, with contributor-level permissions and above, to inject a PHP Object. No POP chain is present in the vulnerable plugin. If a POP chain is present via an additional plugin or theme installed on the target system, it could allow the attacker to delete arbitrary files, retrieve sensitive data, or execute code.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/11/2026
The WP Simple Galleries plugin for WordPress presents a critical security vulnerability classified as CVE-2023-5583, which manifests as a PHP Object Injection flaw affecting versions up to and including 1.34. This vulnerability specifically occurs through the deserialization of untrusted input originating from the 'wpsimplegallery_gallery' post meta field when processed through the 'wpsgallery' shortcode implementation. The attack vector requires authenticated access with contributor-level permissions or higher, making it particularly concerning as it can be exploited by users who already have some level of system access.
The technical exploitation of this vulnerability involves the manipulation of serialized PHP objects within the plugin's codebase, specifically targeting the handling of the 'wpsgallery' shortcode parameter. When an attacker with sufficient privileges creates or modifies a post containing malicious serialized object data within the 'wpsimplegallery_gallery' meta field, the plugin's deserialization process fails to properly validate or sanitize this input before processing. This flaw directly aligns with CWE-502, which categorizes deserialization of untrusted data as a significant security risk, as it allows attackers to inject malicious objects that can be executed within the application's context.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple code execution capabilities, as it creates a potential pathway for more severe consequences within compromised WordPress environments. While the vulnerable plugin itself does not contain a POP (Property-Oriented Programming) chain for chained exploitation, the absence of such a chain does not mitigate the overall threat level. Attackers can leverage this vulnerability to inject PHP objects that may enable arbitrary file deletion, sensitive data retrieval, or code execution on the target system. The vulnerability's exploitation potential is significantly amplified when combined with other plugins or themes that may contain existing POP chains, creating a dangerous scenario where a single vulnerability can serve as a foothold for more comprehensive system compromise.
Security practitioners should consider this vulnerability in the context of ATT&CK framework's T1059.007 technique, which covers PHP code injection, and T1068, which addresses exploit development for privilege escalation. The vulnerability's authentication requirement limits its immediate exploitability to users with contributor-level access, but this access level is often achievable in compromised WordPress environments, particularly when administrators have not properly implemented role-based access controls. Mitigation strategies should include immediate plugin updates to versions that address the deserialization vulnerability, implementation of proper input validation and sanitization for all user-supplied data, and consideration of additional security layers such as web application firewalls that can detect and block suspicious serialization patterns. Organizations should also conduct thorough security audits of their WordPress installations to identify any other plugins or themes that might contain vulnerable POP chains that could be leveraged in conjunction with this vulnerability.