CVE-2023-49819 – This vulnerability allows attackers to execute ... (How to Fix)

Q: What is the severity of CVE-2023-49819?

CVE-2023-49819 has a CVSS score of 7.5 (HIGH). This vulnerability allows attackers to execute arbitrary PHP code through deserialization of untrusted data in the WordPress Structured Content (JSON-LD) plugin. It affects all WordPress sites using this plugin from any version up to 1.5.3. Successful exploitation could lead to complete site compromise.

📋 TL;DR

This vulnerability allows attackers to execute arbitrary PHP code through deserialization of untrusted data in the WordPress Structured Content (JSON-LD) plugin. It affects all WordPress sites using this plugin from any version up to 1.5.3. Successful exploitation could lead to complete site compromise.

💻 Affected Systems

Products:

WordPress Structured Content (JSON-LD) #wpsc plugin

Versions: All versions up to and including 1.5.3

Operating Systems: All operating systems running WordPress

Default Config Vulnerable: ⚠️ Yes

Notes: Affects all WordPress installations with this plugin active, regardless of configuration.

📦 What is this software?

Structured Content by Wpsc Plugin

View all CVEs affecting Structured Content →

⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact

🔴

Worst Case

Remote code execution leading to complete server takeover, data theft, malware installation, and website defacement.

🟠

Likely Case

PHP object injection leading to arbitrary code execution, privilege escalation, and backdoor installation.

🟢

If Mitigated

Limited impact with proper input validation and security controls in place.

🌐 Internet-Facing: HIGH - WordPress plugins are typically internet-facing and this vulnerability requires no authentication.

🏢 Internal Only: MEDIUM - Internal WordPress instances could still be targeted via phishing or compromised internal accounts.

🎯 Exploit Status

Public PoC: ⚠️ Yes

Weaponized: LIKELY

Unauthenticated Exploit: ⚠️ Yes

Complexity: LOW

Public exploit details available on Patchstack, making exploitation straightforward for attackers.

🛠️ Fix & Mitigation

✅ Official Fix

Patch Version: 1.5.4 or later

Vendor Advisory: https://patchstack.com/database/vulnerability/structured-content/wordpress-structured-content-json-ld-wpsc-plugin-1-5-3-php-object-injection-vulnerability

Restart Required: No

Instructions:

1. Log into WordPress admin panel. 2. Go to Plugins → Installed Plugins. 3. Find 'Structured Content (JSON-LD) #wpsc'. 4. Click 'Update Now' if available. 5. If no update available, deactivate and delete the plugin immediately.

🔧 Temporary Workarounds

Disable Plugin

all

Deactivate the vulnerable plugin to prevent exploitation.

wp plugin deactivate structured-content

Remove Plugin Files

linux

Completely remove the plugin files from the WordPress installation.

rm -rf /path/to/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/structured-content/

🧯 If You Can't Patch

Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to block deserialization attacks
Restrict access to WordPress admin panel to trusted IP addresses only

🔍 How to Verify

Check if Vulnerable:

Check WordPress admin → Plugins → Installed Plugins for 'Structured Content (JSON-LD) #wpsc' version 1.5.3 or earlier.

Check Version:

wp plugin get structured-content --field=version

Verify Fix Applied:

Verify plugin version is 1.5.4 or later in WordPress admin panel.

📡 Detection & Monitoring

Log Indicators:

Unusual POST requests to WordPress endpoints
PHP error logs containing unserialize() warnings
Unexpected file creation in wp-content directory

Network Indicators:

HTTP requests with serialized PHP objects in parameters
Traffic to known exploit patterns for CVE-2023-49819

SIEM Query:

source="wordpress.log" AND ("structured-content" OR "wpsc") AND ("unserialize" OR "php_object")

📊 Metadata

CVE ID: CVE-2023-49819

CVSS v3 Score: 7.5 (HIGH)

CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CWE: CWE-502

Published: December 19, 2023

Last Updated: November 21, 2024

🔗 References

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🔗 Related Vulnerabilities

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