CVE-2023-1196: Advanced Custom Fields - Contributor+ PHP Object Injection

Severity: high (CVSS 8.8 v3.1)
Exploited in the wild: not listed in CISA KEV
EPSS: 1.1% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
Public exploit or detection template: yes
Published: 2023-05-02 · updated 2026-06-17
Weakness: CWE-502

Description

The Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) Free and Pro WordPress plugins 6.x before 6.1.0 and 5.x before 5.12.5 unserialize user controllable data, which could allow users with a role of Contributor and above to perform PHP Object Injection when a suitable gadget is present.

Affected products

WP Engine Advanced Custom Fields: from 5.0.0 before 5.12.5; from 6.0.0 before 6.1.0 — fixed in 5.12.5, 6.1.0

How to fix

Upgrade to a fixed version: WP Engine Advanced Custom Fields 5.12.5, 6.1.0. Check the vendor advisory for mitigations.

References

https://wpscan.com/vulnerability/8e5ec88e-0e66-44e4-bbf2-74155d849ede
https://wpscan.com/vulnerability/cf376ca2-92f6-44ff-929a-ace809460a33
https://wpscan.com/vulnerability/8e5ec88e-0e66-44e4-bbf2-74155d849ede
https://wpscan.com/vulnerability/cf376ca2-92f6-44ff-929a-ace809460a33

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