# CVE-2023-5525: Limit Login Attempts Reloaded < 2.25.26 - Admin+ Missing Authorization to Toggle Plugin Auto-Update

> An authenticated user can toggle the plugin's auto-update status due to missing authorization checks on an AJAX action.

- **Severity:** Medium 4.3 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 27 Nov 2023
- **Updated:** 1 Oct 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-xrp3-cvwg-fc64

## What is CVE-2023-5525?

CVE-2023-5525 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in Unknown Limit Login Attempts Reloaded, published on 27 Nov 2023. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The Limit Login Attempts Reloaded WordPress plugin before 2.25.26 is missing authorization on the `toggle_auto_update` AJAX action, allowing any user with a valid nonce to toggle the auto-update status of the plugin.

Weakness: CWE-862 (Missing Authorization)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-5525?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Limitloginattempts Limit Login Attempts Reloaded.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-5525?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-5525 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-5525 being exploited?

It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2023-5525 exists.

## Other vulnerabilities in Unknown Limit Login Attempts Reloaded

- [CVE-2020-35590](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-35590/): Security feature bypass in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2023-6934](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-6934/): Limit Login Attempts Reloaded <= 2.25.26 - Authenticated (Contributor+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting via Shortcode (medium 6.4)
- [CVE-2020-35589](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-35589/): Cross-site scripting in n/a (medium 5.4)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-5525 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-5525 is a medium-severity missing authorization vulnerability in Unknown Limit Login Attempts Reloaded, published on 27 Nov 2023. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: It is not confirmed as exploited in the wild, but public exploit code for CVE-2023-5525 exists.

Affected product: Unknown Limit Login Attempts Reloaded. 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-2023-5525/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-5525/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-5525
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-5525
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-5525

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-5525/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.