dbcve.org
Code InjectionWeakness · CWE-94

CVE-2025-8417

HIGH · 8.1 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-09-11
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
90/100
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 Catalog Importer, Scraper & Crawler plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to PHP code injection in all versions up to, and including, 5.1.4. This is due to reliance on a guessable numeric token (e.g. ?key= 900001705) without proper authentication, combined with the unsafe use of eval() on user-supplied input. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary PHP code on the server via a forged request granted they can guess or brute-force the numeric key.

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 WordPress Catalog Importer plugin uses a weak, guessable numeric token as the sole authentication mechanism for an administrative function, and then passes user-supplied input directly to PHP's eval() function without sanitization. This allows unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary PHP code by sending a request with a guessed token value and malicious PHP code in the request.

MitigationImmediately update to the latest version if a patch is available, otherwise remove the plugin entirely. If exploitation is suspected, conduct a full forensic investigation and consider the entire server compromised.

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
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/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 WordPress Catalog Importer plugin is installed
    In the WordPress admin dashboard, navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins and search for 'Catalog Importer'. If the plugin appears in the list, it is installed. Also check the wp-content/plugins directory for a folder named 'catalog-importer' or similar.
    Affected if The plugin folder exists in the WordPress plugins directory
  2. Identify the installed plugin version
    In the Plugins list page, click on 'View Details' next to the Catalog Importer plugin, or access the main plugin file directly via FTP or file manager and read the plugin header comments which contain the Version field.
    Affected if The installed version falls within the affected version range or is older than the patched version
  3. Verify the weak token authentication mechanism exists
    Access the plugin source files (typically in wp-content/plugins/catalog-importer/) and search for admin action handlers. Look for functions that accept a numeric token as the only form of authentication and identify if these functions are accessible to unauthenticated users.
    Affected if The plugin contains admin functions protected only by a weak, guessable numeric token accessible to unauthenticated users
  4. Check for direct eval() usage in the plugin
    Search the plugin source code for PHP eval() function calls. Examine any code paths that pass user-supplied input (from $_GET, $_POST, or $_REQUEST) directly to eval() without sanitization.
    Affected if The plugin contains eval() calls that process user input without proper sanitization
  5. Review server logs for exploitation attempts
    Examine web server access logs (Apache, Nginx) for requests targeting the plugin endpoint with suspicious PHP code patterns. Look for requests with the token parameter containing PHP code snippets.
    Affected if Logs show requests to the vulnerable endpoint containing malicious PHP code in parameters

The environment is affected if the Catalog Importer plugin is installed and uses a weak numeric token for authentication combined with unsafe eval() usage on user input, regardless of whether exploitation has occurred.

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 to the latest version if a patch is available, otherwise remove the plugin entirely. If exploitation is suspected, conduct a full forensic investigation and consider the entire server compromised.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Latest version greater than 5.1.4 (check wordpress.org for current stable release)

  1. Upgrade the Catalog Importer, Scraper & Crawler plugin to the latest available version from the WordPress plugin repository

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

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation4.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
16.0 hours of engineering $2,840
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An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $4,544.

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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-2025-8417 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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