CVE-2025-12971

Folders <= 3.1.5 - Incorrect Authorization to Authenticated (Contributor+) Folder Content Manipulation

2025-11-26 00:00
Dmitrii Ignatyev

Strategic Overview

Status
Patched in 3.1.6
Affected Plugin
Folders – Unlimited Folders to Organize Media Library Folder, Pages, Posts, File Manager
Affected Version
<= 3.1.5
CVSS
4.3Medium
Weakness type
CWE-863 · Incorrect Authorization
CVE
CVE-2025-12971
View all Folders – Unlimited Folders to Organize Media Library Folder, Pages, Posts, File Manager vulnerabilities

At a glance

CVE-2025-12971 is a medium-severity Incorrect Authorization vulnerability in the Folders WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 3.1.5. It carries a CVSS score of 4.3 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity). Exploitation requires an authenticated account at Contributor level or above. The issue is fixed in version 3.1.6; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed November 2025, reported by Dmitrii Ignatyev.

Vulnerability Overview

The Folders – Unlimited Folders to Organize Media Library Folder, Pages, Posts, File Manager plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized modification of data due to a misconfigured capability check on the 'wcp_change_post_folder' function in all versions up to, and including, 3.1.5. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Contributor-level access and above, to move arbitrary folder contents to arbitrary folders.

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-863: Incorrect Authorization

Folders <= 3.1.5 carries this weakness at wcp_change_post_folder, and reaching it takes an account at Contributor level or above. Incorrect authorization means a permission check exists but evaluates the wrong thing, so it passes for callers it was meant to stop.

The action runs for users the code intended to exclude, with the same effect as having no check at all. For Folders the fix is 3.1.6: builds <= 3.1.5 are affected, anything from 3.1.6 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 3.1.6, or a newer patched version

How does WordSec protect against this?

Because it turns on account access, WordSec's login security is the relevant layer: role-based two-factor, captcha and brute-force limits raise the cost of getting the account this needs. None of that substitutes for the fix: Folders 3.1.6 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

  • Login Security
  • Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-12971https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/f3845071-8419-4bb2-b22d-f9ae22fb7d6ahttps://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-12971

Related records

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