Unrestricted File UploadWeakness · CWE-434

CVE-2025-12153

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-12-05
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
94/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
The Featured Image via URL plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to arbitrary file uploads due to missing file type validation function in all versions up to, and including, 0.1. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Contributor-level access and above, to upload arbitrary files on the affected site's server which may make remote code execution possible.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

The Featured Image via URL WordPress plugin lacks file type validation in its upload functionality, allowing authenticated users with Contributor-level permissions or higher to upload arbitrary files to the server. This unrestricted file upload capability can be leveraged to achieve remote code execution.

MitigationUpdate the plugin to a patched version once available, or remove/disable the plugin entirely. Restrict user permissions to exclude Contributor-level access until the vulnerability is addressed.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Confirm plugin installation
    Navigate to WordPress admin > Plugins and verify if 'Featured Image via URL' plugin is installed and activated
    Affected if Plugin is installed and active in WordPress
  2. Identify installed version
    Check the plugin header in the main plugin file (typically in wp-content/plugins/featured-image-via-url/) or view the version in the WordPress plugin admin page
    Affected if Installed version matches the vulnerable version range (compare your version to the affected releases)
  3. Check for elevated user roles
    Go to WordPress admin > Users and review user accounts. Identify any users with Contributor, Author, Editor, or Administrator roles
    Affected if Any user account with Contributor-level permissions or higher exists on the site
  4. Verify upload endpoint accessibility
    Check if the plugin upload functionality is enabled and accessible. This may include reviewing plugin settings or attempting to access the upload endpoint (if known)
    Affected if Plugin upload functionality is enabled and accessible to authenticated users

Your environment is affected if the Featured Image via URL plugin is installed with a vulnerable version AND you have at least one user with Contributor-level permissions or higher, as this combination enables the arbitrary file upload attack vector.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Update the plugin to a patched version once available, or remove/disable the plugin entirely. Restrict user permissions to exclude Contributor-level access until the vulnerability is addressed.

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
7.0 hours of engineering $1,240
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Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-12153 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2025-12153 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data