CVE-2025-69379: 
WordPress vulnerability analysis and mitigation

CVE-2025-69379 is a Path Traversal (Arbitrary File Deletion) vulnerability in the "Upload Files Anywhere" WordPress plugin (wp-upload-files-anywhere) by developer vanquish. It affects all versions through 2.8 and allows unauthenticated, remote attackers to delete arbitrary files on the server by manipulating file path inputs. The vulnerability was reported on November 24, 2025, and published on February 20, 2026, with no official patch currently available. It carries a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.6 (High) (Patchstack, Feedly).

The root cause is classified as CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory), where the plugin fails to properly sanitize or restrict file path inputs provided by users. An unauthenticated attacker can craft requests with path traversal sequences (e.g., ../) to reference files outside the intended upload directory, ultimately triggering deletion of arbitrary server-side files. No authentication or user interaction is required, and the attack is conducted entirely over the network with low complexity. The vulnerability was discovered and credited to researcher Phat RiO (Patchstack).

Successful exploitation allows an unauthenticated attacker to delete arbitrary files on the WordPress server, including core WordPress files, configuration files (e.g., wp-config.php), or other critical resources. Deletion of core files can render the website completely non-functional, resulting in a high availability impact with a changed scope affecting components beyond the plugin itself. While the CVSS score reflects no direct confidentiality or integrity impact from file reading, deletion of configuration files could indirectly expose sensitive data or enable further compromise (Patchstack, Feedly).

There is no public proof-of-concept exploit code and no confirmed in-the-wild exploitation as of the time of publication. The EPSS score is approximately 0.021% (0.000210), indicating a currently low probability of exploitation in the near term. However, Patchstack notes that vulnerabilities of this severity class are frequently used in mass-exploit campaigns targeting WordPress sites at scale, regardless of site popularity. The vulnerability requires no authentication or user interaction, lowering the barrier for exploitation significantly (Patchstack, Feedly).

1. Reconnaissance: Identify WordPress sites running the "Upload Files Anywhere" plugin (version ≤ 2.8) using tools like WPScan, Shodan, or by checking publicly accessible plugin metadata at /wp-content/plugins/wp-upload-files-anywhere/readme.txt.
2. Identify vulnerable endpoint: Locate the plugin's file handling endpoint or form that accepts file path parameters for upload or deletion operations.
3. Craft path traversal payload: Construct a request with a manipulated file path parameter containing traversal sequences such as ../../wp-config.php or ../../wp-includes/functions.php to reference files outside the intended upload directory.
4. Submit malicious request: Send the crafted HTTP request (unauthenticated) to the vulnerable endpoint, triggering the plugin to process the traversed path and delete the targeted file.
5. Achieve objective: Deletion of critical files (e.g., wp-config.php) can cause site outage, force WordPress reinstallation, or expose database credentials if the file is recreated with default settings (Patchstack).

• Network: Unusual HTTP POST or GET requests to plugin-related endpoints (e.g., paths under /wp-content/plugins/wp-upload-files-anywhere/) containing path traversal sequences such as ../, %2e%2e%2f, or ..%2f in parameters.
• Logs: WordPress or web server access logs showing requests with encoded or literal ../ sequences targeting the plugin's upload or file management functionality from unauthenticated sessions.
• File System: Unexpected absence of critical WordPress files such as wp-config.php, wp-login.php, or core files in wp-includes/ or wp-admin/; timestamps of file deletions correlating with suspicious request times.
• Application Behavior: WordPress site returning errors, white screens, or database connection failures following suspicious requests, indicating deletion of core or configuration files (Patchstack).

No official patch from the plugin developer is currently available for versions ≤ 2.8. Patchstack has issued a virtual patching/mitigation rule for its subscribers to block exploitation attempts until an official fix is released. Recommended interim actions include: disabling or removing the plugin if it is not critical to operations; restricting access to upload functionality to authenticated users only; implementing WAF rules to detect and block path traversal patterns; and monitoring file system and web server access logs for suspicious activity. Organizations should update to a patched version immediately once one becomes available (Patchstack).

Patchstack, which discovered and published the vulnerability (credited to researcher Phat RiO), classified it as high priority and noted it is the type of vulnerability commonly leveraged in mass-exploit campaigns against WordPress sites. Wordfence also included this CVE in its weekly WordPress vulnerability report for the period of February 9–15, 2026. No significant broader media coverage or notable social media discussion has been identified beyond these security vendor reports (Patchstack, Wordfence).