# CVE-2023-3956: Missing authorization in InstaWP Connect – 1-click WP Staging & Migration

> Unauthenticated attackers can modify posts, users, and plugins, or install plugins due to missing capability checks in the InstaWP Connect WordPress plugin.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 27 Jul 2023
- **Updated:** 8 Apr 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-84qr-g4jc-2m5f

## What is CVE-2023-3956?

CVE-2023-3956 is a critical missing authorization vulnerability in InstaWP Connect – 1-click WP Staging & Migration, published on 27 Jul 2023. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The InstaWP Connect plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized access of data, modification of data and loss of data due to a missing capability check on the 'events_receiver' function in versions up to, and including, 0.0.9.18. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to add, modify or delete post and taxonomy, install, activate or deactivate plugin, change customizer settings, add or modify or delete user including administrator user.

Weakness: CWE-862 (Missing Authorization)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-3956?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Instawp Instawp Connect.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-3956?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-3956 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-3956 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-3956 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in InstaWP Connect – 1-click WP Staging & Migration

- [CVE-2024-37228](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-37228/): WordPress InstaWP Connect plugin <= 0.1.0.38 - Arbitrary File Upload vulnerability (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2024-25918](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-25918/): WordPress InstaWP Connect plugin <= 0.1.0.8 - Remote Code Execution vulnerability (critical 9.9)
- [CVE-2024-6397](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-6397/): InstaWP Connect – 1-click WP Staging & Migration <= 0.1.0.44 - Authentication Bypass to Admin (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2024-4898](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-4898/): Missing authorization in InstaWP Connect – 1-click WP Staging & Migration (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2024-2667](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-2667/): InstaWP Connect – 1-click WP Staging & Migration <= 0.1.0.22 - Unauthenticated Arbitrary File Upload (critical 9.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-3956 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-3956 is a critical missing authorization vulnerability in InstaWP Connect – 1-click WP Staging & Migration, published on 27 Jul 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-2023-3956 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: InstaWP Connect – 1-click WP Staging & Migration. 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-2023-3956/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-3956/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-3956
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-3956
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-3956

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-3956/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.