CVE-2023-1889 Missing authorization in Directorist: AI-Powered Business Directory, Listings & Classified Ads

Medium 6.5 Published 9 Jun 2023 Updated 8 Apr 2026

Authenticated subscribers can delete arbitrary posts due to missing authorization checks in the Directorist WordPress plugin.

Exploited in the wild: Not known
Login needed: Any signed-in user
Attackable: Over the internet
Victim action needed: Not needed
Fix: None listed

What is CVE-2023-1889?

CVE-2023-1889 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in wpwax Directorist: AI-Powered Business Directory, Listings & Classified Ads, published on 9 Jun 2023. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

Official description

The Directorist plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to an Insecure Direct Object Reference in versions up to, and including, 7.5.4. This is due to improper validation and authorization checks within the listing_task function. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with subscriber-level permissions and above, to delete arbitrary posts. Please note CVE-2023-35052 appears to be a duplicate of this issue.

Weakness: CWE-639

Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-1889?

It affects 1 product.

Products include Wpwax Directorist.

How do I fix CVE-2023-1889?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-1889 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

Upgrade, and check permissions on every request on the server, not only in the interface. More about Missing authorization.

Is CVE-2023-1889 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-1889 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Sources

Also known as GHSA-qhgh-c3g3-r5vf.