CVE-2023-32238

TheGem < 5.8.1.1 - Improper Authentication

2023-05-05 00:00

Strategic Overview

Status: Patched in 5.8.1.1
Affected Theme: TheGem
Affected Version: < 5.8.1.1
CVSS: 6.3Medium
Weakness type: CWE-287 · Improper Authentication
CVE: CVE-2023-32238

At a glance

CVE-2023-32238 is a medium-severity Improper Authentication vulnerability in the TheGem WordPress theme, affecting versions < 5.8.1.1. It carries a CVSS score of 6.3 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity). The issue is fixed in version 5.8.1.1; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed May 2023, reported by Dave Jong.

Vulnerability Overview

The TheGem theme for WordPress is vulnerable to improper authentication in versions up to 5.8.1.1. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with subscriber-level access and above, to perform an unknown action.

Technical Analysis

The vector marks this flaw as remotely reachable over the network, with low attack complexity — no special timing or configuration is needed, and no interaction from a victim user.

CWE-287: Improper Authentication

Reaching this weakness in TheGem < 5.8.1.1 takes a caller who can reach the endpoint. Improper authentication means the mechanism that proves who a caller is can be satisfied without the secret it was supposed to require.

An attacker authenticates as another user — administrators included — without ever knowing a password, so password policies and login rate limits never come into play. For TheGem the fix is 5.8.1.1: builds < 5.8.1.1 are affected, anything from 5.8.1.1 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 5.8.1.1, or a newer patched version

How does WordSec protect against this?

Because it turns on account access, WordSec's login security is the relevant layer: role-based two-factor, captcha and brute-force limits raise the cost of getting the account this needs. None of that substitutes for the fix: TheGem 5.8.1.1 closes this, and updating the theme is the step that ends it.

Login Security
Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2023-32238 https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/3942bba9-3c3a-47bf-9a53-95376917d6bb https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2023-32238

Related records

Other vulnerabilities in TheGem

CVSS Vector

6.3

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:L

Base

Attack VectorNetwork
Attack ComplexityLow
Privileges RequiredLow
User InteractionNone
ScopeUnchanged
ConfidentialityLow
IntegrityLow
AvailabilityLow

This record contains material that is subject to copyright

CVE Usage: MITRE hereby grants you a perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, no-charge, royalty-free, irrevocable copyright license to reproduce, prepare derivative works of, publicly display, publicly perform, sublicense, and distribute Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE®). Any copy you make for such purposes is authorized provided that you reproduce MITRE's copyright designation and this license in any such copy.

https://www.cve.org/Legal/TermsOfUse

Defiant hereby grants you a perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, no-charge, royalty-free, irrevocable copyright license to reproduce, prepare derivative works of, publicly display, publicly perform, sublicense, and distribute this software vulnerability information. Any copy of the software vulnerability information you make for such purposes is authorized provided that you include a hyperlink to this vulnerability record and reproduce Defiant's copyright designation and this license in any such copy.

https://www.wordfence.com/wordfence-intelligence-terms-and-conditions/