CVE Alert: CVE-2025-9515 – mondula2016 – Multi Step Form

Risk verdict

High risk, but exploitation requires administrative access; urgency hinges on credential risk and admin account security.

Why this matters

Authenticated admins can upload arbitrary files, potentially placing web shells and achieving remote code execution. Compromise could lead to full site takeovers, data exposure, defacement, and lateral movement within hosting environments.

Most likely attack path

An attacker with admin privileges uses the plugin’s import feature to upload a dangerous file due to lax file-type validation. The uploaded file, if stored in a web-accessible location, could be executed by the server, enabling code execution and possibly further compromise. CVSS indicates network access, low complexity, and high impact with high privileges and no user interaction required beyond admin access.

Who is most exposed

WordPress sites using Multi Step Form (especially on shared hosting) with active admin accounts and outdated plugin versions; sites with weak admin credentials or disabled patching are most at risk.

Detection ideas

• Look for admin-initiated import events resulting in new files in web-accessible directories.
• Unusual or suspicious file uploads with .php/.phtml/.phar extensions via the plugin.
• New or modified files in wp-content or plugin paths not tied to normal updates.
• PHP execution attempts or web server errors linked to uploaded files.
• Admin activity logs showing import actions outside routine workflows; spikes in file-write activity.

Mitigation and prioritisation

• Apply the latest available patch (upgrade to a version beyond 1.7.25) or remove/disable the plugin if patching isn’t feasible.
• Enforce least privilege and MFA for all admins; rotate credentials.
• Disable or tightly restrict the import functionality; implement strict server-side upload validation (MIME/type checks, extension whitelisting) and deny execute permissions in upload directories.
• Implement Web Application Firewall rules to flag dangerous upload types and unusual file paths; monitor and alert on anomalous admin activity.
• Schedule a tested change-management window for remediation and verify plugin integrity after patching.