CVE-2025-14629
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 · uneditedThe Alchemist Ajax Upload plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized media file deletion due to a missing capability check on the 'delete_file' function in all versions up to, and including, 1.1. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to delete arbitrary WordPress media attachments.
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 · moderate confidenceThe Alchemist Ajax Upload WordPress plugin is vulnerable to an IDOR/authorization bypass. The 'delete_file' function lacks a WordPress capability check, allowing any unauthenticated visitor to delete arbitrary media attachments from the WordPress media library by crafting requests with the appropriate file ID.
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
- None
- Integrity
- Low
- Availability
- None
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N
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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Confirm the Alchemist Ajax Upload plugin is installedLog in to WordPress admin and navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins, or check for the plugin folder in /wp-content/plugins/ (typically named 'alchemist-ajax-upload' or similar)Affected if The plugin is installed and active on the WordPress site
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Locate the delete_file function in the pluginSearch the plugin directory for the 'delete_file' function definition. Common path: /wp-content/plugins/[plugin-folder]/ includes files like ajax-handler.php, upload.php, or similar where file deletion logic residesAffected if The delete_file function exists in the plugin code
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Inspect the delete_file function for capability checksOpen the file containing delete_file and examine the function body. Look for WordPress capability checks such as current_user_can('delete_post', $attachment_id), current_user_can('delete_media'), or similar authorization calls before processing the deletionAffected if The function does NOT contain any current_user_can() or similar capability verification before processing the deletion request
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Verify the function is exposed to unauthenticated requestsCheck if the delete_file function is hooked to an AJAX action (wp_ajax_ or wp_ajax_nopriv_) or a direct URL endpoint that can be accessed without authentication. Review the add_action calls that register this functionAffected if The function is hooked to an action accessible to unauthenticated users (e.g., wp_ajax_nopriv_ or a public-facing URL)
A user is affected if the Alchemist Ajax Upload plugin is installed and its delete_file function lacks a capability check and is accessible to unauthenticated visitors.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 dataAdd a proper WordPress capability check (e.g., current_user_can('delete_post', $attachment_id)) to the delete_file function before processing the deletion, or update to a patched version if available.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,696.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-14629 — 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 sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2025-14629 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- 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