Unrestricted File UploadWeakness · CWE-434

CVE-2025-53260

CRITICAL · 9.1 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-06-27

Mitigation only

No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.

See remediation →

97/100

Remediation priority · Urgent

Remotely reachable Zero-click

Official description

NVD · unedited

Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type vulnerability in getredhawkstudio File Manager Plugin For Wordpress file-manager-plugin-for-wordpress allows Upload a Web Shell to a Web Server.This issue affects File Manager Plugin For Wordpress: from n/a through <= 7.5.

Technical summary

dbcve analysis · high confidence

The getredhawkstudio File Manager Plugin For WordPress contains an unrestricted file upload vulnerability (CWE-434) allowing authenticated or unauthenticated attackers to upload dangerous file types, specifically web shells, directly to the web server. This achieves remote code execution by placing executable PHP files in web-accessible directories.

MitigationUpgrade to a patched version of the File Manager Plugin that implements proper file type allowlisting, removes executable permissions on upload directories, and adds authentication/authorization checks to the upload function. Until patched, disable the plugin or restrict upload functionality via web server configuration.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

CVSS breakdown

From the vector

Attack vector: Network
Complexity: Low
Privileges: High
User interaction: None
Scope: Changed
Confidentiality: High
Integrity: High
Availability: High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

Am I affected?

dbcve checks

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

Identify if the File Manager plugin is installed

Check the WordPress plugins directory (wp-content/plugins/) for a folder named 'file-manager', 'getredhawkstudio-file-manager', or similar. Alternatively, log into the WordPress admin dashboard and navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins to look for any File Manager plugin from getredhawkstudio.

Affected if The getredhawkstudio File Manager plugin appears in the installed plugins list.
Determine the installed plugin version

In the WordPress admin, find the plugin in Plugins > Installed Plugins and note the version number displayed below the plugin name. Alternatively, open the main plugin PHP file (usually file-manager.php or similar in the plugin folder) and look for a 'Version:' comment in the file header.

Affected if The installed version matches or falls within an affected version range that has not been patched.
Verify if the upload directory is web-accessible

Locate the upload directory used by the plugin (commonly wp-content/plugins/file-manager/elm.ajax.php or a uploads subfolder within the plugin). Attempt to access this directory via a web browser to confirm it serves files. Check the directory permissions and configuration to confirm it allows executable files like .php to be stored and accessed via HTTP.

Affected if The upload directory is located within the web root and is accessible via HTTP/HTTPS, allowing uploaded files to be executed.
Confirm upload functionality is exposed without proper authentication

Test the plugin's upload endpoint (often found at /wp-content/plugins/file-manager/elm.ajax.php or similar AJAX handlers) using a tool like curl to send a file upload request without providing authentication cookies or credentials. Observe whether the upload is accepted.

Affected if The upload functionality accepts and processes file uploads without requiring valid WordPress authentication or authorization checks.
Check if dangerous file types are blocked on upload

Attempt to upload a test file with a .php extension (containing benign content like <?php echo 'test'; ?>) through the plugin's upload interface. Verify whether the upload is rejected, allowed with restrictions, or accepted without warning.

Affected if The plugin allows uploading of .php files or other executable file types without proper validation or blocking.

You are affected if the getredhawkstudio File Manager plugin is installed and its upload functionality permits executable PHP files to be placed in web-accessible directories without authentication or proper file type validation.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Remediation

dbcve · scoped

Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime

Mitigation

Upgrade to a patched version of the File Manager Plugin that implements proper file type allowlisting, removes executable permissions on upload directories, and adds authentication/authorization checks to the upload function. Until patched, disable the plugin or restrict upload functionality via web server configuration.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Latest version of File Manager Plugin For Wordpress available from WordPress repository (version > 7.5)

Check the WordPress admin dashboard for plugin updates under Plugins > All Plugins
Update File Manager Plugin For Wordpress to the latest available version from the official WordPress plugin repository
If no update is available in the WordPress dashboard, visit the official WordPress plugin page for File Manager Plugin to verify current version status
Verify the update was successful by confirming the new version number after updating
Review any uploaded files on the server for suspicious PHP files or web shells in the /wp-content/plugins/file-manager-plugin-for-wordpress/ directory

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

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory

Consultation4.0 h
Implementation8.0 h
Testing6.0 h
Review / QA4.0 h

22.0 hours of engineering $3,860

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Scan for this in your stack

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References

Primary sources

patchstack.com
nvd.nist.govNVD record

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2025-53260 in production — separate from our analysis above.

Notes0 Guidelines

Know something about CVE-2025-53260?

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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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

At a glance

A fix existsA vendor remedy is published

Severity 9.1 Critical

Exploit likelihood EPSS, next 30 days 0.3%

Remediation

A high-priority fix

Have this fixed 22 hrs · Moderate

Typical engagement from $3,860

Get a fix See the full breakdown ↓

A high-priority vulnerability. Send your environment and a specialist will scope CVE-2025-53260 and return a fixed quote and timeline.

You’ll deal with our team directly and deploy the reviewed fix to staging first — never straight to production.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Check your environment

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.

Scan for this in your stack

References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Practitioner notes

No notes yet

Official description

Technical summary

CVSS breakdown

Am I affected?

Remediation

References