How severe is CVE-2023-6989?

CVE-2023-6989 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.

Is CVE-2023-6989 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 57% (99th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2023-6989?

CVE-2023-6989 affects Getshieldsecurity Shield Security. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2023-6989?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.

Does CVE-2023-6989 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?

Yes. CVE-2023-6989 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2023-59181.

When was CVE-2023-6989 published?

CVE-2023-6989 was published on 2024-02-05 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2023-6989

CVE-2023-6989 is a critical-severity vulnerability in Getshieldsecurity Shield Security with a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score of 57% places it in the 99th percentile, indicating an elevated likelihood of exploitation. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-98.

Key facts

Severity: Critical (CVSS 3.x base score 9.8)
EPSS exploit prediction: 57% (99th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
EU (EUVD) id: EUVD-2023-59181
Weakness: CWE-98
Affected product: Getshieldsecurity Shield Security
Published: 2024-02-05
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

The Shield Security – Smart Bot Blocking & Intrusion Prevention Security plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Local File Inclusion in all versions up to, and including, 18.5.9 via the render_action_template parameter. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attacker to include and execute PHP files on the server, allowing the execution of any PHP code in those files.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2023-6989?: The Shield Security – Smart Bot Blocking & Intrusion Prevention Security plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Local File Inclusion in all versions up to, and including, 18.5.9 via the render_action_template parameter. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attacker to include and execute PHP files on the server, allowing the execution of any PHP code in those files.
How severe is CVE-2023-6989?: CVE-2023-6989 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 9.8, rated critical severity. It is exploitable over network with low attack complexity, requires no privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is high, integrity high, and availability high.
Is CVE-2023-6989 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 57% (99th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2023-6989?: CVE-2023-6989 affects Getshieldsecurity Shield Security. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2023-6989?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround. Given its critical severity, prioritise patching exposed systems.
Does CVE-2023-6989 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?: Yes. CVE-2023-6989 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2023-59181.
When was CVE-2023-6989 published?: CVE-2023-6989 was published on 2024-02-05 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:a:getshieldsecurity:shield_security:*:*:*:*:*:wordpress:*:*

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