Urgent: Critical Vulnerability Exploitable in All-in-One Video Gallery Plugin!

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Overview

A high-severity vulnerability, identified as CVE-2025-12966, has been discovered in the All-in-One Video Gallery plugin for WordPress. This vulnerability allows authenticated attackers with Author-level access or higher to upload arbitrary files to the affected WordPress server. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability can lead to remote code execution, potentially compromising the entire website.

This article provides a detailed analysis of CVE-2025-12966, its potential impact, and the steps required to mitigate this serious security risk.

Technical Details

The vulnerability stems from missing file type validation within the resolve_import_directory() function in the admin/import-export.php file of the All-in-One Video Gallery plugin. Versions 4.5.4 through 4.5.7 are affected. Due to the lack of proper checks, an attacker can bypass intended restrictions and upload malicious files, such as PHP scripts, directly to the server.

The specific flaw lies in the insufficient sanitization of uploaded files during the import/export functionality. An authenticated user with Author permissions, which are often granted for content creation purposes, can leverage this flaw. The attacker can then trigger the execution of the uploaded malicious file via a direct URL request.

CVSS Analysis

The Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) has assigned a score of 8.8 to CVE-2025-12966, indicating a high-severity vulnerability.

  • CVSS Score: 8.8
  • Vector String: (Example – Note: the actual vector string would need to be determined) CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Possible Impact

The successful exploitation of CVE-2025-12966 can have severe consequences:

  • Remote Code Execution (RCE): Attackers can execute arbitrary code on the server, gaining complete control of the website.
  • Website Defacement: The attacker can modify website content, injecting malicious code or defacing the site.
  • Data Theft: Sensitive data, including user credentials and database information, can be stolen.
  • Malware Distribution: The compromised website can be used to distribute malware to visitors.
  • Backdoor Installation: Attackers can install persistent backdoors to maintain unauthorized access to the system even after the initial vulnerability is patched.

Mitigation and Patch Steps

The most effective way to mitigate this vulnerability is to update the All-in-One Video Gallery plugin to the latest version. Specifically, upgrade to version 4.5.8 or higher, where the vulnerability has been patched.

  1. Update the Plugin: Navigate to the “Plugins” section in your WordPress dashboard and update the All-in-One Video Gallery plugin.
  2. Verify the Update: Confirm that the plugin version is 4.5.8 or higher after the update.
  3. Monitor your Website: Continuously monitor your website for any suspicious activity after the update.
  4. Consider a WAF: Implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF) to provide an additional layer of security against potential exploits.

References

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