CVE-2025-13645

Modula 2.13.1 - 2.13.2 - Authenticated (Author+) Arbitrary File Deletion

2025-12-02 14:05
ISMAILSHADOW

Strategic Overview

Status
Patched in 2.13.3
Affected Plugin
Modula Image Gallery – Photo Grid & Video Gallery
Affected Version
2.13.1 – 2.13.2
CVSS
7.2High
Weakness type
CWE-22 · Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
CVE
CVE-2025-13645
View all Modula Image Gallery – Photo Grid & Video Gallery vulnerabilities

At a glance

CVE-2025-13645 is a high-severity Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') vulnerability in the Modula Image Gallery WordPress plugin, affecting versions 2.13.1 – 2.13.2. It carries a CVSS score of 7.2 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity; high confidentiality, integrity, availability impact). Exploitation requires an authenticated account at Author level or above. The issue is fixed in version 2.13.3; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed December 2025, reported by ISMAILSHADOW.

Vulnerability Overview

The Modula Image Gallery plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to arbitrary file deletion due to insufficient file path validation in the 'ajax_unzip_file' function in versions 2.13.1 to 2.13.2. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Author-level access and above, to delete arbitrary files on the server, which can easily lead to remote code execution when the right file is deleted (such as wp-config.php).

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. A successful exploit has high impact on confidentiality, integrity, availability — full site compromise territory.

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

Modula Image Gallery 2.13.1 – 2.13.2 carries this weakness at ajax_unzip_file, 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 Modula Image Gallery the fix is 2.13.3: builds 2.13.1 – 2.13.2 are affected, anything from 2.13.3 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 2.13.3, 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: Modula Image Gallery 2.13.3 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

  • Firewall
  • Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-13645https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/080683bb-713f-4aa8-b635-90c96f358bechttps://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-13645

Related records

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