CVE-2018-14028
This allows for PHP files to be uploaded.
Does this matter?
EPSS puts the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days at 15.2%, higher than 97% of all known CVEs. Patch or mitigate before the next change window.
Description
In WordPress 4.9.7, plugins uploaded via the admin area are not verified as being ZIP files. This allows for PHP files to be uploaded. Once a PHP file is uploaded, the plugin extraction fails, but the PHP file remains in a predictable wp-content/uploads location, allowing for an attacker to then execute the file. This represents a security risk in limited scenarios where an attacker (who does have the required capabilities for plugin uploads) cannot simply place arbitrary PHP code into a valid plugin ZIP file and upload that plugin, because a machine's wp-content/plugins directory permissions were set up to block all new plugins.
- CVSS 3.0
- 7.2 HIGHCVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- EPSS
- 15.17% probability · 97th percentile
- Public exploits
- None in Exploit-DB
- CISA KEV
- Not listed
- Weakness
- CWE-434
- Affected
- wordpress/wordpress
- Source
- cve@mitre.org
EPSS moved from 12.6% on 21 September 2026 to 15.2% on 27 October 2026, peaking at 15.2% on 22 September 2026. The dashed line is the ten per cent mark our analysts treat as “patch before the next change window”.
References
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/105060Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
- https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/44710Third Party Advisory
- https://github.com/rastating/wordpress-exploit-framework/pull/52Third Party Advisory
- https://rastating.github.io/unrestricted-file-upload-via-plugin-uploader-in-wordpress/Third Party Advisory
- http://www.securityfocus.com/bid/105060Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
- https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/44710Third Party Advisory
- https://github.com/rastating/wordpress-exploit-framework/pull/52Third Party Advisory
- https://rastating.github.io/unrestricted-file-upload-via-plugin-uploader-in-wordpress/Third Party Advisory
Source: NVD record, EPSS from FIRST.org, KEV from CISA, exploits from Exploit-DB. Refreshed daily. Download this record as JSON.