Overview
CVE-2025-12971 is a medium-severity vulnerability affecting the Folders – Unlimited Folders to Organize Media Library Folder, Pages, Posts, File Manager plugin for WordPress. This vulnerability allows authenticated attackers with Contributor-level access or higher to move arbitrary folder contents to arbitrary folders due to a misconfigured capability check. The vulnerability exists in versions up to and including 3.1.5.
Technical Details
The root cause of this vulnerability lies in the wcp_change_post_folder function within the plugin’s code. A flawed capability check allows users with insufficient privileges (Contributor and above) to bypass the intended authorization mechanisms. Specifically, the plugin fails to adequately verify if the user has the necessary permissions to perform folder modification actions.
The vulnerable code snippet is located in the folders.class.php file. Incorrectly validating the user’s role and permissions before executing the folder moving operation is the core issue.
Specifically, the vulnerability occurs because the plugin does not properly check if the user has the necessary permissions to move content. This can lead to scenarios where an attacker could potentially re-organize the media library or other content, leading to potential data loss or confusion.
CVSS Analysis
- CVSS Score: 4.3 (Medium)
- Vector String: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N
This CVSS score reflects the potential for authenticated attackers to manipulate content within the WordPress installation, albeit with relatively limited impact. The attacker needs to have at least Contributor-level access, limiting the scope of the vulnerability.
Possible Impact
Successful exploitation of CVE-2025-12971 could lead to:
- Content Disorganization: Attackers could maliciously reorganize the media library and other content, making it difficult to find and manage files.
- SEO Impact: Misplaced or moved content could affect website SEO rankings.
- Minor Data Integrity Issues: While data is not deleted, the integrity of the organization of the data is compromised.
Mitigation or Patch Steps
The recommended mitigation is to update the Folders – Unlimited Folders to Organize Media Library Folder, Pages, Posts, File Manager plugin to the latest version. The vulnerability has been patched in versions greater than 3.1.5.
- Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard.
- Navigate to the “Plugins” section.
- Locate the “Folders – Unlimited Folders to Organize Media Library Folder, Pages, Posts, File Manager” plugin.
- If an update is available, click the “Update Now” button.
- Verify that the plugin version is greater than 3.1.5.
