dbcve.org
Unrestricted File UploadWeakness · CWE-434

CVE-2025-12973

HIGH · 7.2 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-11-21
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
78/100
Remediation priority · High
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 S2B AI Assistant – ChatBot, ChatGPT, OpenAI, Content & Image Generator plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to arbitrary file uploads due to missing file type validation in the storeFile() function in all versions up to, and including, 1.7.8. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Editor-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 S2B AI Assistant WordPress plugin fails to validate file types in its storeFile() function, allowing authenticated users with Editor-level permissions or higher to upload arbitrary files to the server, potentially leading to remote code execution.

MitigationUpdate to version 1.7.9 or later; if unavailable, disable the plugin. Audit uploaded files for malicious content and consider web server-level upload restrictions as a defense-in-depth measure.

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
High
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/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. Verify S2B AI Assistant plugin is installed
    Check the WordPress plugins directory (wp-content/plugins/) or go to Plugins > Installed Plugins in the admin dashboard to confirm the S2B AI Assistant plugin is present and active
    Affected if The plugin is installed and active on the WordPress site
  2. Determine installed plugin version
    Open the main plugin file (usually s2b-ai-assistant.php or similar in wp-content/plugins/s2b-ai-assistant/) and look for the version declaration in the plugin header comment, or check the plugin's readme.txt file
    Affected if The installed version is earlier than 1.7.9 (the fixed release)
  3. Confirm Editor-level users exist
    In WordPress admin, go to Users > All Users and check if any users have the Editor role or higher (Administrator). Alternatively, check wp_usermeta table for wp_capabilities meta_value containing 'editor', 'author', or 'administrator'
    Affected if The site has at least one user with Editor, Author, or Administrator role
  4. Check for suspicious file uploads
    Examine the wp-content/uploads/ directory (or custom upload path) for unexpected file types (.php, .exe, .js, .phtml, etc.) that may have been uploaded via the vulnerable storeFile() function
    Affected if Unexpected script files are found in upload directories that were not intentionally placed there

A user is affected if the S2B AI Assistant plugin version is below 1.7.9, the plugin is active, and the site has users with Editor-level permissions or higher, allowing potential arbitrary file upload.

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

Update to version 1.7.9 or later; if unavailable, disable the plugin. Audit uploaded files for malicious content and consider web server-level upload restrictions as a defense-in-depth measure.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Version 1.7.9 or higher

  1. Log in to WordPress admin dashboard
  2. Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins
  3. Locate 'S2B AI Assistant – ChatBot, ChatGPT, OpenAI, Content & Image Generator'
  4. If an update is available, click 'Update Now'
  5. After updating, verify the new version is 1.7.9 or higher
  6. Alternatively, delete the vulnerable plugin and reinstall the latest version from WordPress.org

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-2025-12973 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