# CVE-2023-6449: Contact Form 7 <= 5.8.3 - Authenticated (Editor+) Arbitrary File Upload

> Authenticated editors can upload arbitrary files, potentially leading to remote code execution if combined with other vulnerabilities or specific server configurations.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.6 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 1 Dec 2023
- **Updated:** 8 Apr 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-hpmw-w222-jm7v

## What is CVE-2023-6449?

CVE-2023-6449 is a medium-severity vulnerability in rocklobsterinc Contact Form 7, published on 1 Dec 2023. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The Contact Form 7 plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to arbitrary file uploads due to insufficient file type validation in the 'validate' function and insufficient blocklisting on the 'wpcf7_antiscript_file_name' function in versions up to, and including, 5.8.3. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers with editor-level capabilities or above to upload arbitrary files on the affected site's server, but due to the htaccess configuration, remote code cannot be executed in most cases. By default, the file will be deleted from the server immediately. However, in some cases, other plugins may make it possible for the file to live on the server longer. This can make remote code execution possible when combined with another vulnerability, such as local file inclusion.

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

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-6449?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Rocklobster Contact Form 7.

## How do I fix CVE-2023-6449?

No fix has been published for CVE-2023-6449 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2023-6449 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-6449 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in rocklobsterinc Contact Form 7

- [CVE-2020-35489](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2020-35489/): File upload in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2018-20979](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-20979/): Privilege escalation in n/a (critical 9.8)
- [CVE-2021-24159](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2021-24159/): Contact Form 7 Style <= 3.1.9 - Cross-Site Request Forgery to Stored Cross-Site Scripting (high 8.8)
- [CVE-2024-4704](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-4704/): Contact Form 7 < 5.9.5 - Unauthenticated Open Redirect (medium 6.1)
- [CVE-2024-2242](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-2242/): Contact Form 7 <= 5.9 - Reflected Cross-Site Scripting (medium 6.1)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2023-6449 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2023-6449 is a medium-severity vulnerability in rocklobsterinc Contact Form 7, published on 1 Dec 2023. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-6449 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: rocklobsterinc Contact Form 7. 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-2023-6449/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-6449/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-6449
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-6449
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2023-6449

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2023-6449/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.