CVE-2023-6528
Published: 08 January 2024
Summary
CVE-2023-6528 is a high-severity Deserialization of Untrusted Data (CWE-502) vulnerability in Themepunch Slider Revolution. Its CVSS base score is 8.8 (High).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploit Public-Facing Application (T1190); ranked in the top 5.1% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.
Deeper analysis
The Slider Revolution WordPress plugin before version 6.6.19 is vulnerable to deserialization of untrusted data (CWE-502). The flaw occurs because the plugin does not sanitize or restrict serialized content supplied by users during slider import operations, enabling arbitrary object instantiation that can result in remote code execution. The issue carries a CVSS 3.1 score of 8.8 and affects any site where users holding the Author role or above can perform imports.
An authenticated attacker with Author privileges can upload a crafted slider containing a malicious serialized payload. Successful exploitation grants the attacker the ability to execute arbitrary code on the underlying web server, potentially leading to full site compromise, data exfiltration, or further lateral movement within the hosting environment.
The EPSS score for this CVE stands at 0.1579 with no material increase observed after disclosure. No additional real-world exploitation details or patch-specific mitigation guidance beyond the fixed version are provided in the source data.
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2023-58759
Vulnerability details
The Slider Revolution WordPress plugin before 6.6.19 does not prevent users with at least the Author role from unserializing arbitrary content when importing sliders, potentially leading to Remote Code Execution.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise TechniquesAI
Why these techniques?
The vulnerability enables remote code execution via insecure deserialization in a public-facing WordPress plugin (Slider Revolution), exploitable by authenticated Author+ users importing crafted slider ZIP files with serialized PHP payloads.
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
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.
Penetration testing supplies malicious serialized objects, detecting unsafe deserialization and supporting corrective actions.
Evaluation of untrusted data handling (deserialization testing) reveals unsafe processing, which the required remediation process addresses.
Untrusted serialized data can be deserialized and observed inside the chamber, blocking gadget-chain exploitation outside the sandbox.
Validates or rejects untrusted serialized data before deserialization occurs.
Identifies and blocks malicious code introduced through deserialization of untrusted data at system boundaries.
Integrity verification of serialized information can detect tampering before deserialization occurs.
Provenance of associated data allows detection of untrusted sources before deserialization or processing occurs.