dbcve.org
Code InjectionWeakness · CWE-94

CVE-2025-13486

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-12-03
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
100/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
High EPSS Remotely reachable No privileges 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 Advanced Custom Fields: Extended plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Remote Code Execution in versions 0.9.0.5 through 0.9.1.1 via the prepare_form() function. This is due to the function accepting user input and then passing that through call_user_func_array(). This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary code on the server, which can be leveraged to inject backdoors or create new administrative user accounts.

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

This is an unauthenticated Remote Code Execution vulnerability in the Advanced Custom Fields: Extended WordPress plugin. The prepare_form() function accepts user-supplied input and passes it directly to call_user_func_array(), allowing attackers to call arbitrary PHP functions. This enables complete server compromise without authentication, including backdoor injection and administrative account creation.

MitigationImmediately update the plugin to the latest version beyond 0.9.1.1 once a patch is released, or disable/remove the plugin until a fix is available. Given the critical CVSS score, treat this as a high-priority emergency.

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

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/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 is installed
    Check for the presence of the Advanced Custom Fields: Extended plugin in the WordPress plugins directory (wp-content/plugins/acf-extended or similar naming).
    Affected if The plugin directory exists on the WordPress installation.
  2. Identify installed plugin version
    Open the main plugin file (usually plugin root file or readme.txt) and locate the version string in the plugin header comments.
    Affected if The version displayed is 0.9.0.5, 0.9.0.6, 0.9.0.7, 0.9.0.8, 0.9.0.9, 0.9.1.0, or 0.9.1.1.
  3. Locate vulnerable prepare_form function
    Search the plugin source files for the function definition 'function prepare_form()' to confirm the vulnerable code is present.
    Affected if The prepare_form function exists in the plugin code.
  4. Verify call_user_func_array usage
    Within the prepare_form function, locate the call_user_func_array() call that processes user input without sanitization.
    Affected if The function contains a call_user_func_array() call that accepts unsanitized user-supplied parameters.

A user is affected if the plugin is installed with a version between 0.9.0.5 and 0.9.1.1 inclusive, as these versions contain the vulnerable prepare_form function with unsanitized call_user_func_array usage.

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

Immediately update the plugin to the latest version beyond 0.9.1.1 once a patch is released, or disable/remove the plugin until a fix is available. Given the critical CVSS score, treat this as a high-priority emergency.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

0.9.1.2 or later (latest stable release)

  1. Log in to the WordPress admin dashboard
  2. Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins
  3. Locate 'Advanced Custom Fields: Extended' in the plugin list
  4. If the plugin shows version 0.9.1.1 or earlier, click 'Update Now' to upgrade to the latest version
  5. Alternatively, manually download the updated plugin from the WordPress plugin repository and reinstall

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 / QA2.0 h
9.0 hours of engineering $1,600
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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-2025-13486 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
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