CVE-2025-14997
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 BuddyPress Xprofile Custom Field Types plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to arbitrary file deletion due to insufficient file path validation in the 'delete_field' function in all versions up to, and including, 1.2.8. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Subscriber-level access and above, to delete arbitrary files on the server, which can easily lead to remote code execution when the right file is deleted (such as wp-config.php).
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 confidenceThe BuddyPress Xprofile Custom Field Types plugin fails to validate file paths in its delete_field function, allowing authenticated users with Subscriber-level permissions to delete arbitrary files on the server. The lack of path traversal protection enables attackers to target critical files like wp-config.php for remote code execution.
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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Confirm plugin is installedNavigate to WordPress admin plugins page or inspect wp-content/plugins/ directory for 'bp-xprofile-custom-field-types' folderAffected if The plugin folder exists in the WordPress installation
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Identify installed versionCheck the plugin header in bp-xprofile-custom-field-types/bp-xprofile-custom-field-types.php for 'Version:' line, or view the plugin in WordPress admin plugins listAffected if Version is lower than 1.2.9 (the patched version)
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Verify subscriber-level users existIn WordPress admin, go to Users > All Users and check for any users with Subscriber role, or query wp_users and wp_usermeta tables for subscriber role capabilityAffected if Any Subscriber-level user accounts exist on the site
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Confirm delete_field function is accessibleInspect the plugin file bp-xprofile-custom-field-types/includes/fields/class-delete.php or similar for the delete_field function, checking if it lacks path traversal validation (look for absence of realpath(), basename(), or whitelist validation before file operations)Affected if The delete_field function accepts user-supplied paths without validation
The environment is affected if the plugin is installed, the version is below 1.2.9, and any Subscriber-level users exist with access to the vulnerable delete_field function.
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.
dbcve · scopedUpdate to version 1.2.9 or later which patches the arbitrary file deletion vulnerability; alternatively, restrict subscriber-level user capabilities until the patch is applied.
1.2.9 or latest available version
- Navigate to the WordPress admin dashboard
- Go to Plugins > Installed Plugins
- Locate the 'BuddyPress Xprofile Custom Field Types' plugin
- Check if an update is available and upgrade to the latest version (version 1.2.9 or higher)
- Alternatively, download the latest version from the WordPress Plugin Repository and upload/install it
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,408.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-14997 — 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-2025-14997 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