# CVE-2023-45756: Cross-site scripting in ApplyOnline – Application Form Builder and Manager

> Unauthenticated attackers can execute arbitrary scripts in victim browsers via reflected XSS in the ApplyOnline WordPress plugin.

- **Severity:** High 7.1 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/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:** A user has to click or open something
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 24 Oct 2023
- **Updated:** 28 Apr 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-qxjh-36c6-ww4r

## What is CVE-2023-45756?

CVE-2023-45756 is a high-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in Spider Teams ApplyOnline – Application Form Builder and Manager, published on 24 Oct 2023. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.

### Official description

Unauth. Reflected Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) vulnerability in Spider Teams ApplyOnline – Application Form Builder and Manager plugin <= 2.5.2 versions.

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

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-45756?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Spiderteams Applyonline - Application Form Builder and Manager.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-45756?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-45756 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-45756 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-45756 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Spider Teams ApplyOnline – Application Form Builder and Manager

- [CVE-2023-24391](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-24391/): WordPress ApplyOnline – Application Form Builder and Manager Plugin <= 2.5 is vulnerable to Cross Site Scripting (XSS) (medium 5.9)
- [CVE-2024-10098](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-10098/): ApplyOnline – Application Form Builder and Manager < 2.6.3 - Unauthenticated Application File Access (low 2.7)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-45756 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-45756 is a high-severity cross-site scripting vulnerability in Spider Teams ApplyOnline – Application Form Builder and Manager, published on 24 Oct 2023. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, and only if a user opens a file or follows a link.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-45756 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Spider Teams ApplyOnline – Application Form Builder and Manager. 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-2023-45756/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-45756/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-45756
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-45756
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-45756

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-45756/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.