Cyber Posture

CVE-2025-23953

Critical

Published: 22 January 2025

Published
22 January 2025
Modified
23 April 2026
KEV Added
Patch
CVSS Score 10.0 CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS Score 0.0028 51.3th percentile
Risk Priority 20 60% EPSS · 20% KEV · 20% CVSS

Description

Adversaries may backdoor web servers with web shells to establish persistent access to systems.

Security Summary

CVE-2025-23953 is an Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type vulnerability (CWE-434) in the Scriptonite User Files WordPress plugin, affecting all versions up to and including 2.4.2. The flaw allows attackers to upload a web shell directly to the web server, bypassing restrictions on dangerous file types.

With a CVSS v3.1 base score of 10.0 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H), the vulnerability is exploitable over the network by unauthenticated attackers requiring low complexity and no user interaction. Successful exploitation grants attackers the ability to upload and execute arbitrary malicious files, such as web shells, enabling full server compromise with high impacts on confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

The Patchstack advisory at https://patchstack.com/database/Wordpress/Plugin/user-files/vulnerability/wordpress-user-files-plugin-2-4-2-arbitrary-file-upload-vulnerability?_s_id=cve details this as an arbitrary file upload issue in the WordPress User Files plugin version 2.4.2, recommending that practitioners update to a patched version or implement mitigations as outlined to prevent exploitation.

Details

CWE(s)
CWE-434

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1190 Exploit Public-Facing Application Initial Access
Adversaries may attempt to exploit a weakness in an Internet-facing host or system to initially access a network.
T1505.003 Web Shell Persistence
Adversaries may backdoor web servers with web shells to establish persistent access to systems.
Why these techniques?

Vulnerability in public-facing WordPress plugin enables direct exploitation (T1190) and arbitrary web shell upload/execution (T1505.003).

Confidence: HIGH · MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise v19.0

References