Raw vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HSummary
CVE-2023-4634 is a critical-severity External Control of File Name or Path (CWE-73) vulnerability in Davidlingren Media Library Assistant. Its CVSS base score is 9.8 (Critical).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Data from Local System (T1005); ranked in the top 0.4% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.
Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary
Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.
The Media Library Assistant plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to local file inclusion and remote code execution in versions up to and including 3.09. The issue stems from insufficient validation of file paths supplied to the mla_stream_file parameter in the includes/mla-stream-image.php file, where images are processed using Imagick, enabling attackers to reference arbitrary resources.
Unauthenticated attackers can exploit the flaw by supplying files via FTP, resulting in directory listings, local file inclusion, and remote code execution with full confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact as reflected in the CVSS 9.8 score.
Public references including a Wordfence advisory and the plugin's changeset on WordPress Trac document the availability of a patched version that addresses the path-handling weakness, while proof-of-concept material has been published on GitHub and Packet Storm. The associated EPSS score remains elevated near its recorded peak of 0.9283.
OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2023-54487
Vulnerability Data
The Media Library Assistant plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Local File Inclusion and Remote Code Execution in versions up to, and including, 3.09. This is due to insufficient controls on file paths being supplied to the 'mla_stream_file' parameter from…
more
the ~/includes/mla-stream-image.php file, where images are processed via Imagick(). This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to supply files via FTP that will make directory lists, local file inclusion, and remote code execution possible.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Control response
—
—
—
V5.3.2
Likely Mitigating Controls AI
Per-CVE control mapping for this CVE has not run yet; the list below is derived from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry.
Rejects externally supplied file or resource identifiers that fail validity checks.
Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI
Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.
Security testing can detect path-traversal issues but does not itself implement preventive controls.
Secure development lifecycle mandates input validation and path-handling controls that directly prevent external file/path manipulation.
Application security requirements explicitly call for controls against untrusted input influencing file operations.
Secure architecture principles discourage unsafe path construction but do not prescribe concrete file-name controls.
Secure coding standards require canonicalization, allow-listing, and bounds checks on file paths, directly eliminating CWE-73.
Information access restriction limits which files can be reached, indirectly reducing impact of path manipulation.