# CVE-2025-14388: PhastPress <= 3.7 - Unauthenticated Arbitrary File Read via Null Byte Injection

> Unauthenticated attackers can read arbitrary files, including wp-config.php, from the webroot via null byte injection in PhastPress.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 23 Dec 2025
- **Updated:** 8 Apr 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-pgxv-mqxq-9799

## What is CVE-2025-14388?

CVE-2025-14388 is a critical path traversal vulnerability in kiboit PhastPress, published on 23 Dec 2025. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The PhastPress plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Unauthenticated Arbitrary File Read via null byte injection in all versions up to, and including, 3.7. This is due to a discrepancy between the extension validation in `getExtensionForURL()` which operates on URL-decoded paths, and `appendNormalized()` which strips everything after a null byte before constructing the filesystem path. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to read arbitrary files from the webroot, including wp-config.php, by appending a double URL-encoded null byte (%2500) followed by an allowed extension (.txt) to the file path.

Weakness: CWE-158 (Improper Neutralization of Null Byte or NUL Character)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-14388?


## How do I fix CVE-2025-14388?

No fix has been published for CVE-2025-14388 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2025-14388 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-14388 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-14388 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-14388 is a critical path traversal vulnerability in kiboit PhastPress, published on 23 Dec 2025. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-14388 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: kiboit PhastPress. 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-2025-14388/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-14388/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-14388
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-14388
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-14388

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-14388/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.