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CVE-2023-5228 - Before 3 Plugin

CVE-2023-5228

The User Registration WordPress plugin before 3.0.4.2 does not sanitize and escape some of its settings, which could allow high-privilege users such as admin to perform Stored Cross-Site Scripting attacks even when the unfiltered_html capability is disallowed (for example in multisite setup).

CVE-2023-5228

MEDIUM CVSS 4.8 Published 2023-11-06 Updated 2025-02-26
AI Risk Moderate (42/100) Active Exploit: No strong signal Published Exploit: No public exploit references Priority: P4 Planned
Severity Band MEDIUM
CVSS Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:R/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N
Affected Components 2
Reference Links 1
AI Risk Engine Moderate (42/100)
Exploitability Low
Active Exploitation No strong signal
Published Exploit Status No public exploit references

Threat Timeline

  1. 2023-11-06 CVE published and first recorded in the threat feed.
  2. 2025-02-26 Record updated with latest vulnerability metadata.
  3. 2026-04-09 AI technical context refreshed for mitigation and impact guidance.
  4. Now Monitoring for follow-up changes, linked references, and new related CVEs.

AI Context

Machine-generated threat intelligence

AI Updated 6 days ago

AI enriched 6 days ago (2026-04-09 06:24 UTC)

Technical Summary

The User Registration WordPress plugin before 3.0.4.2 does not sanitize and escape some of its settings, which could allow high-privilege users such as admin to perform Stored Cross-Site Scripting attacks even when the unfiltered_html capability is disallowed (for example in multisite setup).

Potential Impact

Severity is MEDIUM (CVSS 4.8). Depending on deployment context, affected components may be exposed to unauthorized actions or data integrity risk.

Exploitability Assessment

Exploitability is assessed as Low based on severity and technical exposure profile.

Primary risk drivers: severity and technical exposure profile

Mitigation Recommendations

Validate affected product versions, prioritize patching, and monitor references for vendor remediation guidance. If immediate patching is not possible, apply compensating controls and limit exposure of vulnerable surfaces.

Detection & Monitoring

Track authentication anomalies, unexpected file writes, and suspicious plugin API activity around affected components.

Business Impact Lens

Prioritize remediation where affected components process customer data, admin sessions, or Internet-exposed workflows.

Affected Products

Before 3 PLUGIN · before-3 Affected: < 3.0.4.2 Fixed in: 3.0.4.2
User Registration PLUGIN · user-registration Affected: < 3.0.4.2 Fixed in: 3.0.4.2
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