Cyber Resilience

CVE-2025-2056

Path Traversal in Wpplugins Hide My Wp Ghost ≤ 5.4.02

Published
14 March 2025
Modified
20 June 2025
Patch / advisory
CVSS Score v3.1 7.5
Click a component to see what it means
Raw vectorCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
EPSS Score 0.0055 44th percentile
Risk Priority 60 floored blend · peak EPSS

CVSS and EPSS are reproduced from their sources (NVD, FIRST EPSS). Risk Priority is our own derived reading, not an NVD score.

Summary

CVE-2025-2056 is a high-severity Relative Path Traversal (CWE-23) vulnerability in Wpplugins Hide My Wp Ghost. Its CVSS base score is 7.5 (High).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploit Public-Facing Application (T1190); ranked at the 44th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

The strongest mitigations our analysis identified map to SI-10 (Information Input Validation) and AC-3 (Access Enforcement) — see the control section below for these in your framework.

Deeper analysis AI-assisted summary

Synthesised by an AI model from the NVD description and linked references — a reading aid, not an authoritative source.

The WP Ghost (Hide My WP Ghost) – Security & Firewall plugin for WordPress contains a path traversal vulnerability in the showFile function that affects all versions through 5.4.01. The flaw, tracked as CWE-23, permits an unauthenticated network attacker to supply crafted input that results in disclosure of the contents of specific file types stored on the server.

An attacker requires no credentials or user interaction and can leverage the issue to obtain sensitive information that may reside in the readable files, corresponding to the CVSS 7.5 rating that reflects high confidentiality impact with low attack complexity.

The current EPSS score of 0.0058 has risen from a lower baseline to a recorded peak of 0.0129, indicating increased exploitation interest after public disclosure. The referenced Wordfence advisory and plugin source listing for version 5.4.02 provide the primary public references for the issue.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

EU & UK References

Vulnerability Data

The WP Ghost (Hide My WP Ghost) – Security & Firewall plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Path Traversal in all versions up to, and including, 5.4.01 via the showFile function. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to read…

more

the contents of specific file types on the server, which can contain sensitive information.

CWE(s)

Related Threats

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise Techniques

T1190 Exploit Public-Facing Application Initial Access
Adversaries may attempt to exploit a weakness in an Internet-facing host or system to initially access a network.
T1005 Data from Local System Collection
Adversaries may search local system sources, such as file systems, configuration files, local databases, virtual machine files, or process memory, to find files of interest and sensitive data prior to Exfiltration.
Derived from this CVE’s CWE(s) via the direct CWE→ATT&CK cross-walk.

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2025-26909Same product: Wpplugins Hide My Wp Ghost
CVE-2024-10825Same product: Wpplugins Hide My Wp Ghost
CVE-2024-6420Same product: Wpplugins Hide My Wp Ghost
CVE-2024-13794Same product: Wpplugins Hide My Wp Ghost
CVE-2023-34001Same product: Wpplugins Hide My Wp Ghost
CVE-2024-2053Shared CWE-23
CVE-2024-8551Shared CWE-23
CVE-2025-41280Shared CWE-23
CVE-2026-70337Shared CWE-23
CVE-2026-59995Shared CWE-23

Affected Assets

wpplugins
hide my wp ghost
≤ 5.4.02

Mitigating Controls

Control response

Prevent
Stop it (NIST 800-53)

Detect
Catch it (NIST detect / respond)

Harden
Shrink the surface (DISA STIG)

Validate
Prove the fix (OWASP ASVS)
  • V5.3.2

Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI

Explicit validation of path inputs stops .. sequences from ever being interpreted by the file system.

Access enforcement directly blocks unauthorized file reads/writes that result from unresolved .. sequences.

Information-flow rules can be configured to reject traversals that would move data outside an approved directory boundary.

Least privilege reduces the set of reachable files even when a traversal succeeds.

Secure-engineering principles require safe pathname construction and input neutralization before any file operation.

Mitigating Controls (NIST CSF 2.0) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→CSF cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

PR.PS-06 mostly match
prevents

Secure SDLC practices directly require input validation and path sanitization that prevent relative traversal.

Mitigating Controls (ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Annex A) AI

Derived directly from the weakness types (CWEs) cited in the NVD entry via our AI-authored CWE→ISO cross-walk (authority under review) — links open the control.

finds

Security testing in development catches path traversal via static/dynamic analysis, but does not itself implement the fix.

prevents

Secure development lifecycle mandates input validation and path-handling controls that directly prevent relative path traversal.

prevents

Application security requirements explicitly call for controls against path traversal and other injection flaws.

prevents

Secure architecture principles include directory isolation and canonicalization, reducing but not eliminating traversal risk.

prevents

Secure coding standards require neutralizing path traversal sequences, directly addressing CWE-23.

mitigates

Information access restriction limits which files can be reached, mitigating impact but not preventing the traversal flaw.

References