Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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ReconAuthenticate as Author user
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DeliveryAccess plugin upload feature
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ExploitUpload disguised PHP file
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InstallFile written to uploads directory
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C2Request uploaded file URL
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ExecuteExecute webshell as web user
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ImpactFull site/server compromise
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A06:2025 - Insecure Design
ASVS 5.0
V5 - File Handling File type validation, storage isolation
MITRE ATT&CK
2 techniques across 2 tactics: Command and Control, Persistence The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up. |
| Exploitation Conditions | Exploitation requires an authenticated WordPress account with at least Author-level privileges on a site running Media Library Assistant version 3.39 or earlier - the vulnerability is reached through the plugin's authenticated media/file upload feature, so it cannot be triggered by an anonymous visitor. No user interaction from a victim is needed (UI:N) and no special non-default plugin configuration is indicated in the description beyond having the plugin active. The practical limiting factors are therefore: possession of a valid Author (or higher) credential, the plugin being installed and active, and the target being at or below version 3.39; sites that do not grant Author accounts to untrusted parties or that disable self-registration substantially reduce realistic exposure. |
| Impact | The provided CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H, 9.1) signals network-reachable, low-complexity exploitation with full confidentiality, integrity, and availability impact and a scope change consistent with breaking out of the application into the underlying host via a webshell. The key limiting signal is authentication: this is an 'Author' arbitrary file upload, meaning the attacker must already possess a valid Author (or higher) account, so it is not an unauthenticated internet-wide risk. Note a tension in the data - the vector lists PR:H, yet the WordPress Author role is a relatively low-privilege authenticated role, so PR:L is arguably more accurate; verify the intended privilege level with the Patchstack advisory. EPSS is not provided and the CVE is not in CISA KEV, and no POC is referenced, so real-world exploitation probability is currently unquantified; however, authenticated file-upload-to-RCE bugs in popular WordPress plugins are routinely weaponized against sites with open or weakly controlled registration, so any operator that grants Author accounts to semi-trusted users should treat this as urgent rather than theoretical. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | An attacker who has obtained or been granted a WordPress Author account authenticates to the site and uses the plugin's file-upload functionality to submit a malicious PHP file disguised as or bypassing the media-type checks. Once the file lands in the web-accessible uploads directory, the attacker requests its URL directly to execute the code, obtaining a webshell and full server-side control. No user interaction is required and attack complexity is low, though a valid Author-level credential is a prerequisite. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Aug 20, 2026
Arbitrary file upload in the Media Library Assistant WordPress plugin (versions 3.39 and earlier) lets an authenticated user with Author-level access upload files of dangerous types, typically leading to remote code execution and full site compromise. The flaw was reported by Patchstack and is tracked as CWE-434; no public exploit code has been identified at time of analysis, and it is not listed in CISA KEV. The CVSS 9.1 rating reflects the high impact and scope change, though the practical barrier is that an attacker must already hold an Author account.
RemediationAI
Upgrade the Media Library Assistant plugin to the version that supersedes 3.39 as soon as the fixed release is confirmed via the Patchstack advisory (https://patchstack.com/database/wordpress/plugin/media-library-assistant/vulnerability/wordpress-media-library-assistant-plugin-3-39-arbitrary-file-upload-vulnerability); the exact patched version number is not stated in the available data, so validate it against the plugin changelog before deploying. Until patched, reduce exposure by restricting who holds Author or higher roles (audit and remove untrusted authors, and disable open user registration or cap default roles to Subscriber), and by hardening the uploads directory so that PHP/executable files placed under wp-content/uploads cannot be interpreted (for example an Apache/Nginx rule denying execution of .php in the uploads path) - note this may break legitimately uploaded server-side content and should be tested. A WordPress-aware WAF virtual patch (such as Patchstack's) can block malicious upload payloads as a stop-gap, with the trade-off of potential false positives on legitimate media uploads.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 1 package in euvd
Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.
Technical ContextAI · show details
Media Library Assistant is a widely used WordPress plugin (CPE cpe:2.3:a:david_lingren:media_library_assistant) that enhances the native WordPress media library with extended metadata, taxonomy, and bulk-management features, giving it privileged hooks into WordPress's upload and attachment handling. The root cause is CWE-434 (Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type): the plugin's upload handling fails to properly validate or restrict the type/extension of files an Author-role user submits, so a file such as a PHP script can be written into a web-accessible location. Because uploaded media lives under the WordPress uploads directory served by the web server, a successfully planted script can be requested directly and executed by the PHP interpreter.
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Severity by source
AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
Network-reachable, low-complexity upload reachable by an authenticated Author account justifies PR:L (not PR:H); webshell RCE gives full C/I/A, with scope kept Unchanged absent clear cross-security-authority breakout.
Primary rating from Vendor (Patchstack).
CVSS VectorVendor: Patchstack
DescriptionCVE.org
Author Arbitrary File Upload in Media LIbrary Assistant <= 3.39 versions.
Executive ViewAI
The Media Library Assistant WordPress plugin (v3.39 and earlier) creates a critical vulnerability that could allow attackers to completely take over affected WordPress sites if they gain Author-level access. Organizations using this plugin must immediately audit user access and disable the plugin to prevent full site compromise, potential data theft, and business disruption.
No vendor-released patch identified at time of analysis. Immediate mitigation: Disable Media Library Assistant plugin entirely. If continued use is operationally necessary, restrict Author-level access to trusted administrators only, implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to block suspicious uploads, configure strict file type restrictions at the server level, and monitor all file uploads in real-time.
Threat Intelligence Overview
How this decision was reached
The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
Malicious file upload attacks exploit insufficient validation when web applications accept user-provided files.
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EUVD-2026-63341
GHSA-684c-ghcx-jgxh
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
Exploit-DB