CVE-2023-6971

The Backup Migration plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Remote File Inclusion in versions 1.0.8 to 1.3.9 via the 'content-dir' HTTP header. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to include remote files on the server, resulting in code execution. NOTE: Successful exploitation of this vulnerability requires that the target server's php.ini is configured with 'allow_url_include' set to 'on'. This feature is deprecated as of PHP 7.4 and is disabled by default, but can still be explicitly enabled in later versions of PHP.

Published: 2023-12-22 Last update: 2026-06-17 Assigner: [email protected] Source: [email protected]

Conclusion & alert: CVE-2023-6971 is rated Moderate Risk (62.8/100): CVSS High severity, with high exploitation likelihood (EPSS 6.42%, 93th percentile). Core evidence: EPSS ranks this CVE among the most likely to be exploited in the near term. Mandatory action: 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-2023-6971

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 8.48% 6.42% -2.07%
2 2026-06-13 9.05% 8.48% -0.57%
3 2025-11-21 9.05%

Full EPSS history (21 records total)

Common vulnerability scoring system (CVSS) metrics for CVE-2023-6971

CVSS metrics for this CVE.

Base score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Impact Score source
8.1 3.1 HIGH
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/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:N)
No account or special rights needed—anonymous or random user is enough.
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.
2.2 5.9 [email protected]
9.8 3.1 CRITICAL
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/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:N)
No account or special rights needed—anonymous or random user is enough.
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.
3.9 5.9 [email protected]

Weakness enumeration for CVE-2023-6971

Affected software / configurations for CVE-2023-6971

Vendor Product Version Raw CPE
backupbliss backup_migration >= 1.0.8, < 1.4.0 cpe:2.3:a:backupbliss:backup_migration:*:*:*:*:*:wordpress:*:*

References for CVE-2023-6971

cvelogic Threat Intelligence