# CVE-2023-45603: WordPress User Submitted Posts Plugin <= 20230902 is vulnerable to Arbitrary File Upload

> Attackers can upload malicious files to execute arbitrary code on WordPress sites using the User Submitted Posts plugin.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.0 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/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:** 20 Dec 2023
- **Updated:** 28 Apr 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-4v55-6j3q-q3g7

## What is CVE-2023-45603?

CVE-2023-45603 is a critical vulnerability in Jeff Starr User Submitted Posts – Enable Users to Submit Posts from the Front End, published on 20 Dec 2023. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type vulnerability in Jeff Starr User Submitted Posts – Enable Users to Submit Posts from the Front End.This issue affects User Submitted Posts – Enable Users to Submit Posts from the Front End: from n/a through 20230902.

Weakness: CWE-434 (Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-45603?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Plugin-Planet User Submitted Posts.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-45603?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-45603 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-45603 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-45603 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Jeff Starr User Submitted Posts – Enable Users to Submit Posts from the Front End

- [CVE-2019-25138](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2019-25138/): User Submitted Posts <= 20190312 - Unauthenticated Arbitrary File Upload (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2023-4308](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-4308/): User Submitted Posts <= 20230809 - Unauthenticated Stored Cross-Site Scripting via 'user-submitted-content' (high 7.2)
- [CVE-2023-4779](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-4779/): Cross-site scripting in User Submitted Posts – Enable Users to Submit Posts from the Front End (medium 6.4)
- [CVE-2016-11001](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2016-11001/): Cross-site scripting in n/a (medium 6.1)
- [CVE-2024-5002](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-5002/): User Submitted Posts < 20240516 - Admin+ Stored XSS (medium 4.8)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-45603 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-45603 is a critical vulnerability in Jeff Starr User Submitted Posts – Enable Users to Submit Posts from the Front End, published on 20 Dec 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-2023-45603 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Jeff Starr User Submitted Posts – Enable Users to Submit Posts from the Front End. 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-2023-45603/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-45603/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-45603
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-45603
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-45603

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-45603/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.