# CVE-2023-0890: Shortcodes Ultimate < 5.12.8 - Subscriber+ Arbitrary Post Access

> Authenticated subscribers can view draft, private, or password-protected posts and leak passwords due to missing authorization checks in Shortcodes Ultimate.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 20 Mar 2023
- **Updated:** 26 Feb 2025
- **Also known as:** GHSA-vmwx-8pmg-4mrr

## What is CVE-2023-0890?

CVE-2023-0890 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in Unknown WordPress Shortcodes Plugin — Shortcodes Ultimate, published on 20 Mar 2023. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The WordPress Shortcodes Plugin — Shortcodes Ultimate WordPress plugin before 5.12.8 does not ensure that posts to be displayed via some shortcodes are already public and can be accessed by the user making the request, allowing any authenticated users such as subscriber to view draft, private or even password protected posts. It is also possible to leak the password of protected posts

Weakness: CWE-862 (Missing Authorization)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-0890?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Getshortcodes Shortcodes Ultimate.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-0890?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-0890 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-0890 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2023-0890 exists.

## Other vulnerabilities in Unknown WordPress Shortcodes Plugin — Shortcodes Ultimate

- [CVE-2017-18580](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2017-18580/): Code injection in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2023-23800](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-23800/): WordPress Shortcodes Ultimate Plugin <= 5.12.6 is vulnerable to Server Side Request Forgery (SSRF) (high 7.1)
- [CVE-2023-25040](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-25040/): WordPress Shortcodes Ultimate Plugin <= 5.12.6 is vulnerable to Cross Site Scripting (XSS) (medium 6.5)
- [CVE-2023-0911](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-0911/): Shortcodes Ultimate < 5.12.8 - Subscriber+ User Meta Disclosure (medium 6.5)
- [CVE-2025-5567](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-5567/): Shortcodes Ultimate <= 7.4.0 - Authenticted (Contributor+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting via 'data-url' Attribute (medium 6.4)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-0890 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-0890 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in Unknown WordPress Shortcodes Plugin — Shortcodes Ultimate, published on 20 Mar 2023. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2023-0890 exists.

Affected product: Unknown WordPress Shortcodes Plugin — Shortcodes Ultimate. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-0890/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-0890/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-0890
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-0890
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-0890

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-0890/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.