CVE-2016-15043

CriticalPublic PoC

Published: 19 July 2025

Published

19 July 2025

Modified

16 December 2025

KEV Added

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Patch

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CVSS Score 9.8 CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS Score 0.8252 99.2th percentile

Risk Priority 69 60% EPSS · 20% KEV · 20% CVSS

Summary

CVE-2016-15043 is a critical-severity Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type (CWE-434) vulnerability in Wp Mobile Detector Project Wp Mobile Detector. Its CVSS base score is 9.8 (Critical).

Operationally, ranked in the top 0.8% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog; a public proof-of-concept is referenced.

The strongest mitigations our analysis identified are NIST 800-53 SI-10 (Information Input Validation) and SI-2 (Flaw Remediation).

Threat & Defense at a Glance

What defenders deploy: see the NIST 800-53 controls recommended below.

Threat & Defense Details

Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5)AI

SI-10 Information Input Validation good match

prevent

Directly addresses the missing file type validation in resize.php that enables arbitrary file uploads.

SI-2 Flaw Remediation good match

prevent

Remediates the specific flaw in WP Mobile Detector plugin versions up to 3.5 via available updates documented in the plugin changelog.

SI-3 Malicious Code Protection partial match

preventdetect

Detects and blocks malicious code in uploaded arbitrary files, mitigating potential remote code execution on the server.

NVD Description

The WP Mobile Detector plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to arbitrary file uploads due to missing file type validation in resize.php file in versions up to, and including, 3.5. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to upload arbitrary files…

on the affected sites server which may make remote code execution possible.

Deeper analysisAI

CVE-2016-15043 is an arbitrary file upload vulnerability in the WP Mobile Detector plugin for WordPress, affecting versions up to and including 3.5. The flaw stems from missing file type validation in the resize.php file, allowing attackers to upload arbitrary files to the affected site's server. This critical issue carries a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.8 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H) and is classified under CWE-434 (Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type).

Unauthenticated attackers can exploit the vulnerability remotely with low complexity and no privileges or user interaction required. Successful exploitation enables uploading malicious files, which may lead to remote code execution on the server.

Advisories from WPScan, Sucuri, Plugin Vulnerabilities, and a proof-of-concept by Aaditya Purani document the issue, while the plugin's changelog on WordPress.org indicates available updates for mitigation.

The vulnerability was reported as being exploited in the wild in 2016, per Sucuri's analysis.