File Manager <= 6.8 — Arbitrary File Upload/Remote Code Execution
CVE-2020-25213Published · Updated Action summary
Affected: ≤6.8Update to 6.9 or newer
All remediation steps1M+ active installs
Watch plugin- Severity
- Critical9.8
- CVSS
- 9.8CVSS 3.1 · CNA (Wordfence)
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HWhat does this vector mean?
AV:NAttack vector- Network
AC:LAttack complexity- Low
PR:NPrivileges required- None
UI:NUser interaction- None
S:UScope- Unchanged
C:HConfidentiality- High
I:HIntegrity- High
A:HAvailability- High
- Weakness
- CWE-434 Arbitrary File Upload
- Required access
- No account needed
- Exploit prediction (EPSS)
- No score
- CISA KEV
- Listed in CISA KEV
On this page8
Am I affected?
File Manager wp-file-manager
- Affected≤ 6.8
- Patched in6.9
- Latest8.0.7
Update to 6.9 or newer.
You are affected if you run ≤ 6.8. Version 6.9 and later are not affected by this issue.
- Check your version: in wp-admin go to Plugins → Installed Plugins and read the version under File Manager.
- No admin access? Run a passive check of your site. It reads public files only.
- No account is needed to exploit this. Treat any exposed site on an affected version as at risk.
What to do
- Update to version 6.9, or a newer patched version
- Because this CVE is listed in CISA KEV, review the site for signs of compromise: unknown administrator accounts, new PHP files under wp-content/uploads, and unexpected redirects.
- Rotate administrator passwords and application secrets if the site ran a vulnerable version while publicly reachable.
- Watch File Manager to get an email when the next vulnerability is published.
Advisory
Source description from Wordfence Intelligence.
The File Manager (wp-file-manager) plugin before 6.9 for WordPress allows remote attackers to upload and execute arbitrary PHP code because it renames an unsafe example elFinder connector file to have the .php extension. This, for example, allows attackers to run the elFinder upload (or mkfile and put) command to write PHP code into the wp-content/plugins/wp-file-manager/lib/files/ directory. This was exploited in the wild in August and September 2020.
Exploits & references
Proof-of-concept & detection
This CVE is listed in CISA KEV. VulnCrest does not publish proof-of-concept code for KEV-listed vulnerabilities.
- UnreviewedGitHubmansoorr123/wp-file-manager-CVE-2020-25213
- UnreviewedGitHubkakamband/WPKiller
- UnreviewedGitHubforse01/CVE-2020-25213-Wordpress
- UnreviewedGitHub0000000O0Oo/Wordpress-CVE-2020-25213
- UnreviewedGitHubpiruprohacking/CVE-2020-25213
- UnreviewedGitHubb1ackros337/CVE-2020-25213
- UnreviewedGitHubBLY-Coder/Python-exploit-CVE-2020-25213
- UnreviewedGitHubE1tex/Python-CVE-2020-25213
- UnreviewedGitHubCmadhushanka/wordpress-rce-vapt-cve-2020-25213
- UnreviewedGitHubKienHoSD/wp-file-manager-exploit-CVE-2020-25213-with-Zerologon
- UnreviewedGitHubMaalfer/CVE-2020-25213-exploit
- UnreviewedGitHubrigby721/CEV-2020-25213_wp-file-manger_exploit
Third-party code, not reviewed by VulnCrest. Fake PoC repositories regularly contain malware. Read the code before running anything, and only run it against a lab you own.
Advisories & patches
- Advisorywordfence.com
Related CVEs
More in File Manager
All 16| Severity | Vulnerability | CVE | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medium5.3 | 8.0.4 - Unauthenticated Information Exposure 7.2.2 – 8.0.4Update to 8.0.5 | CVE-2026-19708 | |
| Medium6.1 | Reflected Cross-Site Scripting ≤8.0.4Update to 8.0.5 | CVE-2026-85081 | |
| High7.2 | Authenticated Remote Code Execution <8.0.4Update to 8.0.4 | CVE-2026-6382 | |
| Medium4.3 | Missing Authorization ≤7.2.7Update to 7.2.8 | CVE-2024-37254 | |
| Medium6.8 | Authenticated (Administrator+) Directory Traversal ≤7.2.5Update to 7.2.6 | CVE-2024-2654 |
- Medium5.38.0.4 - Unauthenticated Information Exposure
7.2.2 – 8.0.4Update to 8.0.5
- Medium6.1Reflected Cross-Site Scripting
≤8.0.4Update to 8.0.5
- High7.2Authenticated Remote Code Execution
<8.0.4Update to 8.0.4
- Medium4.3Missing Authorization
≤7.2.7Update to 7.2.8
- Medium6.8Authenticated (Administrator+) Directory Traversal
≤7.2.5Update to 7.2.6
Same weakness (Arbitrary File Upload)
All Arbitrary File Upload| Severity | Vulnerability | CVE | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| High7.2 | Unauthenticated Stored Cross-Site Scripting via Comment User-Agent Header | CVE-2026-120688 | |
| Critical9.8 | Unauthenticated Arbitrary File Upload via File Upload via Public Form Submission | CVE-2026-125055 | |
| Critical9.8 | Unauthenticated PHP Object Injection to Remote Code Execution via 'form' Parameter | CVE-2026-119077 | |
| Medium5.3 | Unauthenticated Sensitive Information Exposure in 'search' Parameter | CVE-2026-121518 |
- High7.2Unauthenticated Stored Cross-Site Scripting via Comment User-Agent Header
EZ SQL Reports Shortcode Widget and DB Backup
≤5.25.25Update to 5.26.45
- Critical9.8Unauthenticated Arbitrary File Upload via File Upload via Public Form Submission
Chatterbug Forms – Fast, Flexible WordPress Form Builder
≤1.0.2Update to 1.1
- Critical9.8Unauthenticated PHP Object Injection to Remote Code Execution via 'form' Parameter
ELEX WordPress HelpDesk & Customer Ticketing System
≤3.3.9Update to 3.4.0
- Medium5.3Unauthenticated Sensitive Information Exposure in 'search' Parameter
Customer Reviews for WooCommerce
≤5.127.0Update to 5.128.0
Timeline
CVE published
Severity critical, CVSS 9.8
Record last updated
Sources & licenses
Wordfence record- Vulnerability data
- Wordfence Intelligence. Copyright 2012-2026 Defiant Inc. Licensed under the CC BY-SA 4.0.
- CVE® identifiers
- Copyright 1999-2026 The MITRE Corporation. Used under the CVE Program. CVE® is a registered trademark of The MITRE Corporation.
- CVSS / CWE
- National Vulnerability Database (NVD), shown unmodified. This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.
- KEV status
- CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog (CC0 1.0).
- VulnCrest content
- Summary, remediation guidance and page layout © VulnCrest. Not sourced from NVD.