CVE-2023-5707 in SEO Slider Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 11/03/2023
The SEO Slider plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the plugin's 'slider' shortcode and post meta in all versions up to, and including, 1.1.0 due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping on user supplied attributes. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers with contributor-level and above permissions to inject arbitrary web scripts in pages that will execute whenever a user accesses an injected page.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/11/2026
The CVE-2023-5707 vulnerability affects the SEO Slider plugin for WordPress, representing a critical stored cross-site scripting flaw that compromises the security of WordPress installations. This vulnerability exists within the plugin's 'slider' shortcode functionality and post meta handling mechanisms, specifically impacting all versions up to and including 1.1.0. The flaw stems from inadequate input sanitization and output escaping measures that fail to properly validate or sanitize user-supplied attributes before processing them within the plugin's code execution flow.
The technical nature of this vulnerability places it firmly within the CWE-79 category of Cross-Site Scripting, where the plugin fails to adequately sanitize user input before rendering it in web pages. Attackers with contributor-level permissions or higher can exploit this weakness by injecting malicious JavaScript code through the slider shortcode attributes or post meta fields. The stored nature of this vulnerability means that the malicious scripts are permanently saved within the WordPress database, making them persistent threats that execute every time affected pages are accessed by any user with appropriate permissions.
From an operational perspective, this vulnerability creates significant risk for WordPress sites utilizing the SEO Slider plugin, as it allows authenticated attackers to establish persistent backdoors or execute malicious payloads against unsuspecting users. The impact extends beyond simple script injection since the vulnerability affects users who access pages containing the compromised slider shortcodes, potentially leading to session hijacking, data theft, or further exploitation of the compromised systems. The vulnerability's accessibility through contributor-level permissions makes it particularly dangerous as it can be exploited by users who typically have limited administrative capabilities.
The attack vector for this vulnerability follows the ATT&CK framework's T1548.001 technique for Abuse of Functionality, where legitimate plugin functionality is misused to execute malicious code. Attackers can craft malicious shortcode parameters that contain JavaScript payloads, which then get stored in the WordPress database and executed whenever the affected pages are rendered. This exploitation method aligns with the principle of least privilege violations, as the attacker requires only contributor-level access to compromise the entire site's integrity.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2023-5707 should begin with immediate plugin updates to versions that address the sanitization and escaping flaws. Organizations should implement strict input validation measures that sanitize all user-supplied data before processing, particularly focusing on the shortcode attributes and meta fields that handle slider configurations. Network-based solutions such as web application firewalls can provide additional protection layers, while monitoring systems should be deployed to detect anomalous shortcode usage patterns. Regular security audits of WordPress plugins and themes should be conducted to identify similar vulnerabilities, with administrators ensuring that all plugins maintain current versions and security patches. The vulnerability also underscores the importance of role-based access control implementation, where contributor-level users should have minimal privileges to prevent unauthorized exploitation of plugin functionalities.