CVE-2025-1785

Download Manager <= 3.3.08 - Authenticated (Author+) Path Traversal to Limited File Overwrite

2025-03-12 00:00
zhuxuan wu

Strategic Overview

Status
Patched in 3.3.09
Affected Plugin
Download Manager
Affected Version
<= 3.3.08
CVSS
5.4Medium
Weakness type
CWE-22 · Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
CVE
CVE-2025-1785
View all Download Manager vulnerabilities

At a glance

CVE-2025-1785 is a medium-severity Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') vulnerability in the Download Manager WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 3.3.08. It carries a CVSS score of 5.4 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity). Exploitation requires an authenticated account at Author level or above. The issue is fixed in version 3.3.09; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed March 2025, reported by zhuxuan wu.

Vulnerability Overview

The Download Manager plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Directory Traversal in all versions up to, and including, 3.3.08 via the 'wpdm_newfile' action. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Author-level access and above, to overwrite select file types outside of the originally intended directory, which may cause a denial of service.

Technical Analysis

The vector marks this flaw as remotely reachable over the network, with low attack complexity — no special timing or configuration is needed, and no interaction from a victim user.

CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')

Download Manager <= 3.3.08 carries this weakness at wpdm_newfile, and reaching it takes an account at Author level or above. Path traversal happens when user-controlled text is used to build a filesystem path without being constrained to an intended directory, so sequences like ../ walk the resolved path somewhere else.

Depending on the operation, it means reading files outside the intended folder — wp-config.php being the usual target — or writing to and deleting paths the web server can touch. For Download Manager the fix is 3.3.09: builds <= 3.3.08 are affected, anything from 3.3.09 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 3.3.09, or a newer patched version

How does WordSec protect against this?

An attacker needs Author access first, so the firewall sees the attempt as traffic from a logged-in account: WordSec's web application firewall inspects request payloads before WordPress loads them. None of that substitutes for the fix: Download Manager 3.3.09 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

  • Firewall
  • Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-1785https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/bc5c7974-4c10-4880-8823-2accee3c0da4https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-1785

Related records

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