CVE-2023-51478 is an authentication flaw that allows privilege escalation in the Build App Online plugin by Abdul Hakeem, rated Critical (9.8). It affects versions up to and including 1.0.19. Update to 1.0.22 or later.
What's affected
The NVD record names Build App Online by Abdul Hakeem and lists versions up to and including 1.0.19 per the NVD record, and up to 1.0.21 per Patchstack. Patchstack lists the required privilege as unauthenticated. The Patchstack page title calls this an unauthenticated account takeover, which matches the privilege escalation wording in the record.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Product | Build App Online (WordPress plugin) |
| Affected | versions up to and including 1.0.19 per the NVD record, and up to 1.0.21 per Patchstack |
| Fixed | 1.0.22 or later |
| CVSS | 9.8 (Critical), vector CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
| Weakness | CWE-287 (Improper Authentication), CWE-306 (Missing Authentication for Critical Function) |
| Published | 2024-04-25 |
The record's CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities flag is false for this CVE.
How to check if you're exposed
If you manage the site with WP-CLI, list the installed version and whether an update is waiting:
wp plugin list --fields=name,status,version,update_version | grep build-app-online
You can also open Plugins in the WordPress dashboard and read the version under the plugin name. Compare it with the affected range above. If you run many sites, export an inventory of plugins and versions from each one and compare them in one pass. The free scanner at gold.safeguard.sh/scan can check a dependency manifest in the browser, and the Gold directory lists known issues by component.
Also check staging copies and sites that were cloned from older backups. Inactive plugins still sit on disk and some of them still expose files, so remove plugins you no longer use rather than only deactivating them.
What to do now
- Update Build App Online to 1.0.22 or later. Back up the site first if you have not already.
- Run the update on staging first if the plugin is business critical, then roll it out to production.
- Re-run the WP-CLI check above on every site you manage and confirm no copy remains in the affected range.
- Remove the plugin if you no longer need it, instead of leaving it deactivated.
- Review administrator accounts and recent changes on any site that ran an affected version while exposed to the internet.
Why it matters
The record classifies this as CWE-287 (Improper Authentication), CWE-306 (Missing Authentication for Critical Function).
Authentication bugs mean the application accepts a claim of identity without proving it. In plugin code this often shows up as a request handler that trusts a value sent by the client, such as an email address or an identifier, instead of checking a session or a secret.
When no login is needed to trigger the flaw, the attacker's cost drops to almost nothing and mass scanning becomes practical. Treat unauthenticated issues of this kind as patch first, investigate second.
Source conflict on versions: the NVD record says versions through 1.0.19 are affected, while Patchstack lists versions up to 1.0.21 as vulnerable and 1.0.22 as patched. Treat anything below 1.0.22 as exposed. Patchstack also lists a High priority for this entry.
Try it yourself
Click through it at your own pace, or open it full screen.
Quick check
Is a login needed to reach the bug?
The Patchstack entry lists the required privilege as unauthenticated, which means no login is needed. Update before you investigate.
How do I know which version is fixed?
Use the version stated under What is affected, and confirm it against the vendor changelog or advisory linked in Sources before you close the ticket.
Sources
- NVD record data for CVE-2023-51478 via Safeguard Gold
- Patchstack advisory (fetched)
Last reviewed: 19 October 2026.
