dbcve.org
Unrestricted File UploadWeakness · CWE-434

CVE-2025-12171

HIGH · 8.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-11-01
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 RESTful Content Syndication plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to arbitrary file uploads due to missing file type validation in the ingest_image() function in versions 1.1.0 to 1.5.0. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Author-level access and above, to upload arbitrary files on the affected site's server which may make remote code execution possible. This requires the attacker have access to a defined third-party server as specified in the settings, so it is unlikely that this will be exploitable by contributor-level users, and more likely to be exploited by administrators who also have access to the plugin's settings.

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 RESTful Content Syndication WordPress plugin versions 1.1.0-1.5.0 lacks file type validation in its ingest_image() function, allowing authenticated users with Author-level access or higher to upload arbitrary files to the server by specifying a third-party server in settings, potentially enabling remote code execution.

MitigationUpgrade to version 1.5.1 or later which includes proper file type validation. Until patched, restrict the 'Author' role and review users with plugin access.

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 RESTful Content Syndication plugin is installed
    In WordPress admin, go to Plugins > Installed Plugins and look for 'RESTful Content Syndication' or check the wp-content/plugins directory for a folder containing 'restful-content-syndication' or similar naming
    Affected if The plugin is present on the site
  2. Identify installed plugin version
    In WordPress admin, click on the plugin name in the Plugins list to view its details, or inspect the plugin's main PHP file for a 'Version' header comment
    Affected if Version falls between 1.1.0 and 1.5.0 inclusive
  3. Check if third-party server setting is configured
    Navigate to the plugin's settings page (typically under Settings or a dedicated menu item for this plugin) and look for fields allowing configuration of an external/third-party server URL for content ingestion
    Affected if A third-party server URL is specified in plugin settings
  4. Review users with Author-level or higher access
    Go to Users > All Users in WordPress admin and identify accounts with the Author, Editor, or Administrator roles, particularly those who have access to this plugin's settings
    Affected if There are users with Author-level or higher access who can access the plugin configuration

A site is affected if the RESTful Content Syndication plugin versions 1.1.0-1.5.0 is installed with a third-party server configured and at least one user with Author-level access can access the plugin settings.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Upgrade to version 1.5.1 or later which includes proper file type validation. Until patched, restrict the 'Author' role and review users with plugin access.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Version 1.5.1 or latest stable release (upgrade from 1.5.0 or below)

  1. Log in to WordPress admin dashboard
  2. Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins
  3. Locate the 'RESTful Content Syndication' plugin
  4. Check if current version is 1.5.0 or below (vulnerable)
  5. If vulnerable, click 'Update Now' to install the latest version
  6. If no update is available, manually download the latest version from wordpress.org/plugins/restful-content-syndication/ and upload via Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin
  7. After update, verify version number reflects the fixed release

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation3.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
8.0 hours of engineering $1,420
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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-2025-12171 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