# CVE-2018-14028: File upload in n/a

> An attacker with plugin upload capabilities can upload PHP files to a predictable location, leading to remote code execution if plugin directory permissions are restrictive.

- **Severity:** High 7.2 (`CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 10 Aug 2018
- **Updated:** 5 Aug 2024
- **Also known as:** DEBIAN-CVE-2018-14028, GHSA-fm2w-6w3p-hhx6, UBUNTU-CVE-2018-14028

## What is CVE-2018-14028?

CVE-2018-14028 is a high-severity vulnerability in Wordpress Wordpress, published on 10 Aug 2018. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

In WordPress 4.9.7, plugins uploaded via the admin area are not verified as being ZIP files. This allows for PHP files to be uploaded. Once a PHP file is uploaded, the plugin extraction fails, but the PHP file remains in a predictable wp-content/uploads location, allowing for an attacker to then execute the file. This represents a security risk in limited scenarios where an attacker (who does have the required capabilities for plugin uploads) cannot simply place arbitrary PHP code into a valid plugin ZIP file and upload that plugin, because a machine's wp-content/plugins directory permissions were set up to block all new plugins.

Weakness: CWE-434 (Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2018-14028?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Wordpress Wordpress.

## How do I fix CVE-2018-14028?

No fix has been published for CVE-2018-14028 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2018-14028 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2018-14028 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Wordpress Wordpress

- [CVE-2026-63030](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-63030/): WordPress Core Interpretation Conflict (critical 9.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-87902](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-87902/): WordPress Core Remote File Inclusion (high 8.1, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-60137](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-60137/): WordPress Core SQL Injection (medium 5.9, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2012-2399](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-2399/): Cross-site scripting in n/a (critical 10.0)
- [CVE-2012-2400](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2012-2400/): Other in n/a (critical 10.0)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2018-14028 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2018-14028 is a high-severity vulnerability in Wordpress Wordpress, published on 10 Aug 2018. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2018-14028 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Wordpress Wordpress. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-14028/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-14028/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2018-14028
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2018-14028
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2018-14028

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2018-14028/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.