Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities

CVE-2025-12182: Qi Blocks Plugin Vulnerability Exposes WordPress Media Library to Unauthorized Resizing

Overview

CVE-2025-12182 is a medium severity vulnerability found in the Qi Blocks plugin for WordPress. This vulnerability allows authenticated attackers with Contributor-level access or higher to resize arbitrary media library images belonging to other users without proper authorization. This can lead to unintended file writes, disk consumption, and potential server resource abuse through processing large images.

Technical Details

The vulnerability stems from a missing capability check within the resize_image_callback() function in versions of the Qi Blocks plugin up to and including 1.4.3. Specifically, the plugin fails to properly verify if a user has the necessary permissions to resize a specific attachment before proceeding with the operation. The affected function is located in inc/media/class-qi-blocks-media.php.

An attacker with Contributor-level access can exploit this flaw by crafting a request to trigger the resize_image_callback() function, specifying the ID of an image belonging to another user. Because the plugin doesn’t validate the user’s permissions before resizing the image, the attacker can successfully resize the image, potentially consuming server resources and modifying files they shouldn’t have access to.

CVSS Analysis

  • Severity: MEDIUM
  • CVSS Score: 4.3
  • The CVSS score reflects the limited scope of the attack, requiring authentication and only affecting image resizing. However, the potential for resource exhaustion and unintended file modifications warrants a ‘Medium’ severity rating.

Possible Impact

Successful exploitation of this vulnerability can lead to several negative consequences:

  • Unintended File Writes: Attackers can modify images without authorization.
  • Disk Consumption: Resizing images, especially to larger dimensions, can consume significant disk space.
  • Server Resource Abuse: Processing large images during resizing can strain server resources, potentially leading to performance degradation or denial-of-service conditions.
  • Data Integrity Issues: Unauthorized modification of images can compromise data integrity.

Mitigation and Patch Steps

The recommended mitigation is to update the Qi Blocks plugin to the latest version. The vulnerability has been patched in versions released after 1.4.3. Follow these steps:

  1. Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard.
  2. Navigate to the “Plugins” section.
  3. Locate the “Qi Blocks” plugin.
  4. If an update is available, click the “Update Now” button.
  5. Verify that the plugin version is greater than 1.4.3 after the update.

References

Affected Code on WordPress Plugin Repository (Version 1.4.3)
Patch Commit on WordPress Plugin Repository
Wordfence Threat Intelligence Report

Cybersecurity specialist and founder of Gowri Shankar Infosec - a professional blog dedicated to sharing actionable insights on cybersecurity, data protection, server administration, and compliance frameworks including SOC 2, PCI DSS, and GDPR.

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