CVE-2023-6982 in Display Custom Fields in the Frontend Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 02/06/2024
The Display custom fields in the frontend – Post and User Profile Fields plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via the plugin's shortcode and postmeta in all versions up to, and including, 1.2.1 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 vulnerability identified as CVE-2023-6982 affects the Display custom fields in the frontend – Post and User Profile Fields plugin for WordPress, representing a critical security flaw that undermines the integrity of web applications. This issue exists within all versions up to and including 1.2.1, making it a widespread concern for WordPress installations that utilize this specific plugin. The vulnerability manifests as a stored cross-site scripting flaw that exploits the plugin's shortcode functionality and postmeta handling mechanisms, creating a persistent threat vector that can compromise user sessions and data confidentiality.
The technical root cause of this vulnerability stems from inadequate input sanitization and output escaping mechanisms within the plugin's codebase. Attackers with contributor-level permissions or higher can manipulate the plugin's shortcode attributes and postmeta fields to inject malicious scripts that persist in the database. This stored nature of the vulnerability means that the injected code remains dormant until triggered by legitimate user access to affected pages, making detection particularly challenging. The flaw directly maps to CWE-79 which defines Cross-Site Scripting as a weakness where untrusted data is improperly incorporated into web page content without proper validation or escaping.
The operational impact of CVE-2023-6982 extends beyond simple script execution, creating potential pathways for more sophisticated attacks within the WordPress environment. Authenticated attackers can leverage this vulnerability to execute malicious code in the context of a victim's browser, potentially leading to session hijacking, data theft, or privilege escalation within the WordPress admin interface. The vulnerability's accessibility to contributor-level users significantly broadens the attack surface, as these roles typically have limited but legitimate access to content management functions, making the compromise more difficult to detect and prevent. This weakness aligns with ATT&CK technique T1548.003 which involves using credentials to maintain access and potentially escalate privileges through malicious script execution.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must prioritize immediate plugin updates to versions that address the sanitization and escaping deficiencies. Organizations should implement strict input validation measures at multiple layers, including immediate sanitization of shortcode attributes and postmeta values before storage, combined with proper output escaping when rendering content. Network monitoring solutions should be configured to detect anomalous script injection patterns, while role-based access controls should be reviewed to ensure that contributor-level permissions do not inadvertently grant dangerous capabilities. The remediation process should also include comprehensive auditing of existing database entries for potential malicious payloads and implementation of automated scanning tools to identify similar vulnerabilities across other plugins in the WordPress ecosystem.