# CVE-2023-40000: WordPress LiteSpeed Cache plugin <= 5.7 - Unauthenticated Site Wide Stored XSS vulnerability

> Unauthenticated attackers can inject malicious scripts into WordPress sites via the LiteSpeed Cache plugin, potentially compromising user sessions and site integrity.

- **Severity:** High 8.3 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:L`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 16 Apr 2024
- **Updated:** 28 Apr 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-fvp6-8p9w-vffq

## What is CVE-2023-40000?

CVE-2023-40000 is a high-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in LiteSpeed Cache, published on 16 Apr 2024. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Improper Neutralization of Input During Web Page Generation ('Cross-site Scripting') vulnerability in LiteSpeed Technologies LiteSpeed Cache allows Stored XSS.This issue affects LiteSpeed Cache: from n/a through 5.7.

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

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-40000?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Litespeedtech Litespeed Cache.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-40000?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-40000 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-40000 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2023-40000 exists.

Public exploit code:

- LiteSpeed Cache plugin for WordPress that could enable unauthenticated users to escalate their privileges (github_poc): https://github.com/rxerium/CVE-2023-40000
- PoC for XSS vulnerability in the LiteSpeed Cache WordPress plugin (CVE-2023-40000) allowing elevated privileges. Includes code, explanations, and mitigations. (github_poc): https://github.com/quantiom/litespeed-cache-xss-poc
- That's a PoC of cve-2023-40000. Wordpress LiteSpeed Cache exploit. (github_poc): https://github.com/iveresk/cve-2023-40000
- LiteSpeed Cache <= 5.7 - Unauthenticated Stored XSS (nuclei): http/cves/2023/CVE-2023-40000.yaml

## Other vulnerabilities in LiteSpeed Cache

- [CVE-2024-44000](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-44000/): WordPress LiteSpeed Cache plugin < 6.5.0.1 - Unauthenticated Account Takeover via Cookie Leak vulnerability (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2024-28000](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-28000/): WordPress LiteSpeed Cache plugin <= 6.3.0.1 - Unauthenticated Privilege Escalation vulnerability (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2024-47637](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-47637/): WordPress LiteSpeed Cache plugin <= 6.4.1 - Path Traversal vulnerability (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2023-45000](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-45000/): WordPress LiteSpeed Cache plugin <= 5.7 - Unauthenticated Broken Access Control on API vulnerability (high 8.2)
- [CVE-2024-50550](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-50550/): WordPress LiteSpeed Cache plugin <= 6.5.1 - Privilege Escalation vulnerability (high 8.1)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-40000 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-40000 is a high-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in LiteSpeed Cache, published on 16 Apr 2024. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2023-40000 exists.

Affected product: LiteSpeed Cache. 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-2023-40000/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-40000/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-40000
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-40000
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-40000

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-40000/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.