Description

The File Manager (wp-file-manager) plugin before 6.9 for WordPress allows remote attackers to upload and execute arbitrary PHP code because it renames an unsafe example elFinder connector file to have the .php extension. This, for example, allows attackers to run the elFinder upload (or mkfile and put) command to write PHP code into the wp-content/plugins/wp-file-manager/lib/files/ directory. This was exploited in the wild in August and September 2020.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1 9.8/10CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Weakness enumeration

CWE-434

Affected software

Vendor	Product	Versions
n/a	n/a	n/a

References

http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/160003/WordPress-File-Manager-6.8-Remote-Code-Execution.htmlExploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/171650/WordPress-File-Manager-6.9-Shell-Upload.htmlExploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
https://github.com/w4fz5uck5/wp-file-manager-0dayExploit, Third Party Advisory
https://hotforsecurity.bitdefender.com/blog/wordpress-websites-attacked-via-file-manager-plugin-vulnerability-24048.htmlBroken Link, Third Party Advisory
https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/2373068Patch
https://seravo.com/blog/0-day-vulnerability-in-wp-file-manager/Exploit, Third Party Advisory
https://wordfence.com/blog/2020/09/700000-wordpress-users-affected-by-zero-day-vulnerability-in-file-manager-plugin/Exploit, Third Party Advisory
https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-file-manager/#developersProduct, Release Notes
https://zdnet.com/article/millions-of-wordpress-sites-are-being-probed-attacked-with-recent-plugin-bug/Press/Media Coverage
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/160003/WordPress-File-Manager-6.8-Remote-Code-Execution.htmlExploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
http://packetstormsecurity.com/files/171650/WordPress-File-Manager-6.9-Shell-Upload.htmlExploit, Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry
https://github.com/w4fz5uck5/wp-file-manager-0dayExploit, Third Party Advisory
https://hotforsecurity.bitdefender.com/blog/wordpress-websites-attacked-via-file-manager-plugin-vulnerability-24048.htmlBroken Link, Third Party Advisory
https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/2373068Patch
https://seravo.com/blog/0-day-vulnerability-in-wp-file-manager/Exploit, Third Party Advisory
https://wordfence.com/blog/2020/09/700000-wordpress-users-affected-by-zero-day-vulnerability-in-file-manager-plugin/Exploit, Third Party Advisory
https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-file-manager/#developersProduct, Release Notes
https://zdnet.com/article/millions-of-wordpress-sites-are-being-probed-attacked-with-recent-plugin-bug/Press/Media Coverage
https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog?field_cve=CVE-2020-25213US Government Resource

Timeline

Published: Sep 9, 2020
Last modified: Jun 17, 2026
Added to CISA KEV: Nov 3, 2021
NVD status: Analyzed