Overview
This report details a significant security vulnerability (CVE-2025-9874) in the Ultimate Classified Listings plugin for WordPress. This vulnerability can result in Local File Inclusion, posing a serious threat to users running any version up to and including 1.6. Due to this CVE, authenticated attackers with Contributor-level access and above can potentially bypass access controls, access sensitive data, and execute arbitrary .php files on the server, leading to severe system compromise.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-9874
Severity: High (CVSS: 7.5)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: Low (Contributor-level Access)
User Interaction: Required
Impact: Potential system compromise or data leakage
Affected Products
A new way to communicate
Ameeba Chat is built on encrypted identity, not personal profiles.
Message, call, share files, and coordinate with identities kept separate.
- • Encrypted identity
- • Ameeba Chat authenticates access
- • Aliases and categories
- • End-to-end encrypted chat, calls, and files
- • Secure notes for sensitive information
Private communication, rethought.
Product | Affected Versions
Ultimate Classified Listings Plugin for WordPress | All versions up to and including 1.6
How the Exploit Works
The vulnerability lies in the ‘uclwp_dashboard’ shortcode of the plugin, which fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input. This allows an authenticated user with contributor-level access to inject malicious .php files into the server. Once the server executes these files, the attacker can achieve arbitrary code execution, leading to the violation of access controls, acquisition of sensitive data, or further system compromise.
Conceptual Example Code
Here is a conceptual example of how this vulnerability might be exploited:
POST /wp-content/plugins/ultimate-classified-listings/uclwp_dashboard HTTP/1.1
Host: target.example.com
Content-Type: application/php
{ "uclwp_dashboard": "../../../../../malicious_file.php" }In this example, the attacker uses directory traversal to point to a malicious .php file placed elsewhere on the server, exploiting the vulnerability to execute arbitrary code.
Mitigation Guidance
To mitigate this vulnerability, users are advised to apply the vendor patch as soon as it becomes available. In the meantime, deploying a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can provide temporary protection by monitoring and blocking suspicious activities.