dbcve.org
Information ExposureWeakness · CWE-200

CVE-2025-4222

MEDIUM · 5.9 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-05-03
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
68/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
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 Database Toolset plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Sensitive Information Exposure in all versions up to, and including, 1.8.4 via backup files stored in a publicly accessible location. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to extract sensitive data from database backup files. An index file is present, so a brute force attack would need to be successful in order to compromise any data.

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 Database Toolset WordPress plugin (versions up to 1.8.4) stores database backup files in a publicly accessible web directory without proper access controls. While an index file prevents directory listing, unauthenticated attackers can brute-force backup filenames to access and extract sensitive database contents including credentials and PII.

MitigationRelocate backup files outside the web root or implement proper authentication/authorization checks to block unauthenticated access. Consider encrypting backups as an additional layer of protection.

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

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Verify Database Toolset plugin is installed
    Check your WordPress plugins directory or use WP-CLI: wp plugin list --search='database-toolset' or inspect the plugins list in wp-admin
    Affected if The Database Toolset plugin is active on the site
  2. Confirm the plugin version
    Check the plugin version in wp-admin under Plugins > Database Toolset, or inspect the main plugin file header for the version number
    Affected if The installed version is 1.8.4 or lower
  3. Locate backup file storage directory
    Check the plugin settings page in wp-admin for the backup storage path, or search the wp-content directory for .sql, .gz, or .zip backup files with names like 'backup', 'db', or 'database'
    Affected if Backup files are stored within the web root (public_html, htdocs, or similar) rather than outside the web accessible directory
  4. Test public accessibility of backup files
    Attempt to access a known or suspected backup file URL directly via browser or curl (e.g., https://yoursite.com/wp-content/database-toolset-backups/filename.sql)
    Affected if The backup file downloads or displays without requiring authentication or showing a 403/401 error
  5. Check for index.php protection in backup folder
    Examine the backup directory for an index.php or .htaccess file intended to block directory listing
    Affected if No access control file exists or the backup files remain accessible despite one being present

You are affected if the Database Toolset plugin (version 1.8.4 or lower) is installed and stores backup files in a web-accessible directory that allows unauthenticated file access via direct URL.

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

Relocate backup files outside the web root or implement proper authentication/authorization checks to block unauthenticated access. Consider encrypting backups as an additional layer of protection.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Version 1.8.5 or later

  1. Navigate to the WordPress admin dashboard
  2. Go to Plugins > Installed Plugins
  3. Locate the Database Toolset plugin
  4. Check if an update to version 1.8.5 or later is available
  5. If an update is available, click 'Update Now' to install the patched version
  6. If no update is available through the WordPress admin, manually download version 1.8.5 or later from the WordPress plugin repository at plugins.trac.wordpress.org and upload it via Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin
  7. After updating, verify the backup files are no longer stored in a publicly accessible location by checking the plugin settings or consulting the changelog

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-2025-4222 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