dbcve.org
CWE-158Weakness · CWE-158

CVE-2025-14388

CRITICAL · 9.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-12-23
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
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 PhastPress plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Unauthenticated Arbitrary File Read via null byte injection in all versions up to, and including, 3.7. This is due to a discrepancy between the extension validation in `getExtensionForURL()` which operates on URL-decoded paths, and `appendNormalized()` which strips everything after a null byte before constructing the filesystem path. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to read arbitrary files from the webroot, including wp-config.php, by appending a double URL-encoded null byte (%2500) followed by an allowed extension (.txt) to the file path.

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 PhastPress WordPress plugin (versions up to 3.7) contains an unauthenticated arbitrary file read vulnerability via null byte injection. The getExtensionForURL() function validates extensions on URL-decoded paths, while appendNormalized() strips everything after a null byte before constructing the filesystem path, creating a bypass. Attackers can append a double URL-encoded null byte (%2500) followed by an allowed extension like .txt to read sensitive files including wp-config.php.

MitigationImmediately update the PhastPress plugin to the latest version once available, or disable the plugin if no patched version exists. If patching manually is required, implement consistent null byte handling and validation across both functions.

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 PhastPress plugin is installed
    Check for the PhastPress plugin directory in your WordPress plugins folder (typically wp-content/plugins/phastpress) or list installed plugins via WordPress admin or wp-cli: wp plugin list --status=active
    Affected if The plugin directory exists in the WordPress installation
  2. Identify installed PhastPress version
    Read the main plugin file header (usually phastpress.php in the plugin folder) to find the Version field, or use wp-cli: wp plugin get phastpress --field=version
    Affected if The version number is 3.7 or lower (the vulnerability affects versions up to 3.7)
  3. Verify plugin is active
    Check WordPress admin plugins page or run: wp plugin status phastpress
    Affected if The plugin shows as active or network-active
  4. Check for vulnerable function code
    Search the plugin files for the getExtensionForURL and appendNormalized functions (look for null byte handling logic within these functions)
    Affected if Both functions exist and one validates extensions while the other strips null bytes inconsistently
  5. Review access logs for exploitation attempts
    Search web server access logs (Apache/nginx) for requests containing %2500 (double URL-encoded null byte) targeting the PhastPress plugin endpoint, especially with extensions like .txt
    Affected if Suspicious requests with %2500 followed by allowed extensions are found in logs

A WordPress site is affected if PhastPress version 3.7 or lower is installed and active, with the vulnerable null byte handling functions present in the codebase.

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 PhastPress plugin to the latest version once available, or disable the plugin if no patched version exists. If patching manually is required, implement consistent null byte handling and validation across both functions.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

PhastPress version 3.8 or later

  1. Navigate to the WordPress admin dashboard
  2. Go to Plugins > Installed Plugins
  3. Locate PhastPress in the plugin list
  4. Click 'Update Now' if an update is available, or manually download version 3.8 or later from the WordPress plugin repository
  5. Verify the update completed successfully

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

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
14.0 hours of engineering $2,490
Get help mitigating

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,984.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-14388 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.

Get it on GitHub Scan in the browser

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-2025-14388 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

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