# CVE-2023-1912: Limit Login Attempts <= 1.7.1 - Unauthenticated Stored Cross-Site Scripting

> Unauthenticated attackers can inject scripts via lock logs that execute for administrators, requiring the X-FORWARDED-FOR header setting to be enabled.

- **Severity:** High 7.2 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 6 Apr 2023
- **Updated:** 8 Apr 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-wqcw-392x-3hhr

## What is CVE-2023-1912?

CVE-2023-1912 is a high-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in automattic Limit Login Attempts, published on 6 Apr 2023. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The Limit Login Attempts plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting via its lock logging feature in versions up to, and including, 1.7.1 due to insufficient input sanitization and output escaping. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to inject arbitrary web scripts in pages that will execute whenever an administrator accesses the plugin's settings page. This only works when the plugin prioritizes use of the X-FORWARDED-FOR header, which can be configured in its settings.

Weakness: CWE-79 (Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-1912?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Limit Login Attempts Project Limit Login Attempts.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-1912?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-1912 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-1912 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-1912 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in automattic Limit Login Attempts

- [CVE-2022-0787](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-0787/): Limit Login Attempts (Spam Protection) < 5.1 - Unauthenticated SQLi (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2012-10001](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-10001/): Auth bypass in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2021-24657](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-24657/): Limit Login Attempts < 4.0.50 - Unauthenticated Stored Cross-Site Scripting (medium 6.1)
- [CVE-2023-1861](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-1861/): Limit Login Attempts < 1.7.2 - Subscriber+ Stored XSS (medium 5.4)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-1912 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-1912 is a high-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in automattic Limit Login Attempts, published on 6 Apr 2023. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-1912 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: automattic Limit Login Attempts. 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-2023-1912/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-1912/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-1912
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-1912
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-1912

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-1912/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.