# CVE-2025-39538: WordPress WP-Advanced-Search plugin <= 3.3.9.4 - Arbitrary File Upload Vulnerability

> Attackers can upload malicious web shells to the server via the WP-Advanced-Search plugin, leading to remote code execution.

- **Severity:** Medium 6.6 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:L/A:L`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 16 Apr 2025
- **Updated:** 28 Apr 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-62fp-h6c8-g6f9

## What is CVE-2025-39538?

CVE-2025-39538 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Mathieu Chartier WP-Advanced-Search, published on 16 Apr 2025. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type vulnerability in Mathieu Chartier WP-Advanced-Search wp-advanced-search allows Upload a Web Shell to a Web Server.This issue affects WP-Advanced-Search: from n/a through <= 3.3.9.4.

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

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-39538?


## How do I fix CVE-2025-39538?

No fix has been published for CVE-2025-39538 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2025-39538 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-39538 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Public exploit code:

- WordPress WP-Advanced-Search <= 3.3.9.3 - Arbitrary File Upload Vulnerability (github_poc): https://github.com/Nxploited/CVE-2025-39538

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-39538 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-39538 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Mathieu Chartier WP-Advanced-Search, published on 16 Apr 2025. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-39538 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Mathieu Chartier WP-Advanced-Search. 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-2025-39538/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-39538/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-39538
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-39538
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-39538

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-39538/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.