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Threats / WordPress / CVE-2020-25213
CVE-2020-25213 · EUVD no mirror located · GCVE no mirror located Verified 2026-06-22

WordPress File Manager Plugin vulnerability

WordPress File Manager plugin contains an unauthenticated remote code execution vulnerability allowing attackers to upload and execute malicious PHP code on affected sites.

Verdict

Today item — known-exploited.

An unauthenticated attacker can exploit improper file upload validation in the File Manager plugin to execute arbitrary PHP code with web server privileges, leading to full site compromise. Active exploitation in the wild increases risk.

CISA KEV Yes · 2021-11-033EPSS 0.97328 (verify live)4Exploit Weaponized · public PoC5
01

Is it exploitable?

— the evidence, ranked above the score
Exploit available
Fully weaponized — public exploit code is cataloged for this vulnerability.We link the existence of the exploit; we do not host or redistribute payloads.
Reported exploitation
158 independent public reports of in-the-wild exploitation are cataloged.Distinct reporting sources (vendor, incident response, government); open them for the underlying claims.
Exploited in the wild
Listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog (added 2021-11-03).
CISA KEV ↗Confirmed
Probability (EPSS)
EPSS 0.97328 — modeled likelihood of exploitation activity.EPSS is a daily-changing model output — open the source for today's value.
Severity / affected
Affected: WordPress, File Manager Plugin. Confirm exact fixed builds in the vendor advisory.
NVD ↗Reported
Weakness (CWE)
Mapped to CWE-434 Unrestricted File Upload — weakness family: Path traversal / file.CWE assignment from the public NVD record; the weakness class drives how the flaw is exploited.
NVD ↗Reported
WeaknessCWE-434 · Unrestricted File UploadPath traversal / file
02

Who’s exploiting it?

— attribution turns risk into urgency
Attribution not established

No confirmed (advisory-backed) threat-actor attribution is established for this record. Absence of a named actor is not absence of compromise — see Coverage & confidence.

03

Why it matters

— the attack path, told twice: adversary, then board
1

Front door — unauthenticated access narrative 1

Attacker
I craft a malicious PHP file and send an upload request to the vulnerable endpoint without authentication.
Business
The organization's web server is compromised and can be used to host malware, steal data, or pivot to internal systems.
2

Keys to the kingdom — privilege/identity takeover narrative 2

Attacker
I execute arbitrary PHP code on the server to establish persistence, create backdoor accounts, or modify site content.
Business
Attackers gain sustained unauthorized access, enabling data exfiltration, ransomware deployment, or defacement.
3

Lateral reach — past segmentation narrative 3

Attacker
I enumerate the server environment and escalate privileges to access sensitive files, databases, or connected infrastructure.
Business
Confidential business data, customer information, and intellectual property are exposed or destroyed.
04

What to do

— defensible action
  • Remediate per the vendor advisory — confirm the fixed build for your version and verify exposure.1
Say it to the boardA vulnerability with this evidence profile is a defensible budget line, not a backlog ticket — fund the change against the proof above.
05

Coverage & confidence

— what we know, and what we don’t

Established (cited)

  • KEV listing (CISA)
  • EPSS probability (FIRST)
  • Weaponized exploit available (VulnCheck)
  • 158 reported-exploitation source(s)
  • CWE weakness mapping (NVD)
  • Public exploit availability
  • Catalogued by mitre (CNA)
  • Coverage gaps — stated, not hidden

  • No EUVD / GCVE mirror in feed — single-authority dependency for the identifier.
  • EPSS & exposure are time-varying; verify live at the source.
  • Threat-actor attribution not established from feed data — absence of a name is not absence of compromise.
  • No finder/reporter credit recorded in the public CVE entry — the work behind this find is unattributed.
  • Disclosure & credit2
    Catalogued by mitreCNA
    Credited with finding itNo finder named in the public CVE record — the work behind this find is unattributed.