CVE-2026-18983

One User Avatar | User Profile Picture <= 2.5.4 - Authenticated (Subscriber+) Stored Cross-Site Scripting via wpua-file Parameter

2026-08-27 15:22
Dthangws

Strategic Overview

Status
Patched in 2.5.5
Affected Version
<= 2.5.4
CVSS
7.5High
Weakness type
CWE-434 · Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type
CVE
CVE-2026-18983
View all One User Avatar | User Profile Picture vulnerabilities

At a glance

CVE-2026-18983 is a high-severity Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type vulnerability in the One User Avatar WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 2.5.4. It carries a CVSS score of 7.5 (reachable over the network; high confidentiality, integrity, availability impact). Exploitation requires an authenticated account at Subscriber level or above. The issue is fixed in version 2.5.5; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed August 2026, reported by Dthangws.

Vulnerability Overview

The One User Avatar | User Profile Picture plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Stored Cross-Site Scripting in all versions up to, and including, 2.5.4 via the wpua_action_process_option_update function. This is due to insufficient file type validation in wp_handle_upload() called without a MIME allow-list, with post-write validation relying on the attacker-controlled client-supplied Content-Type header rather than a server-derived type, and no cleanup of files that fail the check. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with subscriber-level access and above, to upload files that may be executable, which makes remote code execution possible. in order to exploit this vulnerability an admin has to give subscribers permission to upload avatars. While PHP files and svg files are rejected, dxfp files are accepted.

Technical Analysis

The vector marks this flaw as remotely reachable over the network, and no interaction from a victim user. A successful exploit has high impact on confidentiality, integrity, availability — full site compromise territory.

CWE-434: Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type

One User Avatar <= 2.5.4 carries this weakness at wp_handle_upload(), and reaching it takes an account at Subscriber level or above. An unrestricted file upload lets a caller store a file whose type or destination the application does not properly constrain.

If an uploaded file lands anywhere the server will execute, the flaw becomes remote code execution and the site should be treated as fully compromised. For One User Avatar the fix is 2.5.5: builds <= 2.5.4 are affected, anything from 2.5.5 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 2.5.5, or a newer patched version

How does WordSec protect against this?

An attacker needs Subscriber 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. Classes like this one can leave something behind, so the staged malware scanner is the second half: it looks for dropped files and modified code rather than for the request that created them. None of that substitutes for the fix: One User Avatar 2.5.5 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

  • Firewall
  • Scanner
  • Alerts

External References

Related records

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