# CVE-2025-10488: Path traversal in Directorist: AI-Powered Business Directory, Listings & Classified Ads

> Attackers can move arbitrary files on the server via insufficient path validation, potentially leading to remote code execution.

- **Severity:** High 8.1 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 25 Oct 2025
- **Updated:** 8 Apr 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-96rr-76h4-x8pf

## What is CVE-2025-10488?

CVE-2025-10488 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in wpwax Directorist: AI-Powered Business Directory, Listings & Classified Ads, published on 25 Oct 2025. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The Directorist: AI-Powered Business Directory Plugin with Classified Ads Listings plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to arbitrary file move due to insufficient file path validation in the add_listing_action AJAX action in all versions up to, and including, 8.4.8. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to move arbitrary files on the server, which can easily lead to remote code execution when the right file is moved (such as wp-config.php).

Weakness: CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-10488?


## How do I fix CVE-2025-10488?

No fix has been published for CVE-2025-10488 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2025-10488 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-10488 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-10488 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-10488 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in wpwax Directorist: AI-Powered Business Directory, Listings & Classified Ads, published on 25 Oct 2025. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-10488 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: wpwax Directorist: AI-Powered Business Directory, Listings & Classified Ads. 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-2025-10488/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-10488/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-10488
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-10488
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-10488

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-10488/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.