CVE-2023-6187 | Paid Memberships Pro <= 2.12.3 - Authenticated (Subscriber+) Arbitrary File Upload

The Paid Memberships Pro plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to arbitrary file uploads due to insufficient file type validation in the 'pmpro_paypalexpress_session_vars_for_user_fields' function in versions up to, and including, 2.12.3. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers with subscriber privileges or above, to upload arbitrary files on the affected site's server which may make remote code execution possible. This can be exploited if 2Checkout (deprecated since version 2.6) or PayPal Express is set as the payment method and a custom user field is added that is only visible at profile, and not visible at checkout according to its settings.

Published: 2023-11-18 Last update: 2026-04-08 Assigner: [email protected] Source: [email protected]
NVD Status：Modified，CVE State: published
View at NVD, CVE.org, EUVD

CVE-2023-6187 is rated High Risk (69.6/100): CVSS High severity, with high exploitation likelihood (EPSS 51.53%, 99th percentile). EPSS ranks this CVE among the most likely to be exploited in the near term. EPSS rose +31.83% over the last day, indicating growing attacker interest. High exploitation likelihood—assess exposure and prioritize remediation.

Risk is dynamic; we continuously reassess and refresh what is shown on this page as upstream context changes.

Exploit prediction scoring system (EPSS) score for CVE-2023-6187

EPSS lead: Daily EPSS estimates relative likelihood of exploitation; percentile ranks this CVE among scored vulnerabilities (higher = more severe relative rank).

# Date Old EPSS score New EPSS score Delta (New - Old)
1 2026-06-15 19.70% 51.53% +31.83%
2 2026-05-02 20.12% 19.70% -0.41%
3 2026-04-21 — 20.12% —

Full EPSS history (15 records total)

Common vulnerability scoring system (CVSS) metrics for CVE-2023-6187

CVSS metrics for this CVE.

Base score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Impact Score source
7.5 3.1 HIGH
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H Click to expand
Attack vector (AV:N)
Could be attacked over the internet or any normal routed network—not just someone sitting at the machine.
Attack complexity (AC:H)
Even with access, the exploit needs extra luck, timing, or a fussy environment to actually work.
Privileges required (PR:L)
A normal user session is enough; they don’t have to be admin.
User interaction (UI:N)
Nobody has to click “OK” or open a trap file; it can work without a victim helping.
Scope (S:U)
Damage stays in the same “trust bubble” as the broken component—no big spill into unrelated systems.
Confidentiality (C:H)
Serious risk that confidential data gets exposed in a big way.
Integrity (I:H)
They could widely tamper with or forge data—trust in the data is badly hurt.
Availability (A:H)
Could take the service down hard or make it unusable for people who depend on it.
 1.6 5.9 [email protected]
8.8 3.1 HIGH
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H Click to expand
Attack vector (AV:N)
Could be attacked over the internet or any normal routed network—not just someone sitting at the machine.
Attack complexity (AC:L)
Once they can reach the bug, pulling it off is straightforward—no weird race conditions or rare setup.
Privileges required (PR:L)
A normal user session is enough; they don’t have to be admin.
User interaction (UI:N)
Nobody has to click “OK” or open a trap file; it can work without a victim helping.
Scope (S:U)
Damage stays in the same “trust bubble” as the broken component—no big spill into unrelated systems.
Confidentiality (C:H)
Serious risk that confidential data gets exposed in a big way.
Integrity (I:H)
They could widely tamper with or forge data—trust in the data is badly hurt.
Availability (A:H)
Could take the service down hard or make it unusable for people who depend on it.
 2.8 5.9 [email protected]

Weakness enumeration for CVE-2023-6187

Affected software / configurations for CVE-2023-6187

Vendor Product Version Raw CPE
strangerstudios paid_memberships_pro <= 2.12.3 cpe:2.3:a:strangerstudios:paid_memberships_pro:*:*:*:*:*:wordpress:*:*

References for CVE-2023-6187

cvelogic Threat Intelligence