CVE-2025-7778

Critical

Published: 15 August 2025

Published

15 August 2025

Modified

15 April 2026

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 0.0050 66.1th percentile

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

Summary

CVE-2025-7778 is a critical-severity Improper Authorization (CWE-285) vulnerability in Wordpress (inferred from references). Its CVSS base score is 9.8 (Critical).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploit Public-Facing Application (T1190); ranked in the top 33.9% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

The strongest mitigations our analysis identified are NIST 800-53 AC-3 (Access Enforcement) and SI-10 (Information Input Validation).

Threat & Defense at a Glance

What attackers do: exploitation maps to Exploit Public-Facing Application (T1190) and 1 other technique. What defenders deploy: see the NIST 800-53 controls recommended below.

Threat & Defense Details

Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5)AI

SI-2 Flaw Remediation good match

prevent

Flaw remediation directly mitigates the arbitrary file deletion vulnerability by identifying, reporting, and patching the flawed delete_files() function in the Icons Factory plugin.

AC-3 Access Enforcement good match

prevent

Access enforcement addresses the insufficient authorization in delete_files(), preventing unauthenticated attackers from deleting arbitrary files.

SI-10 Information Input Validation good match

prevent

Information input validation enforces proper path validation in delete_files(), blocking arbitrary file paths that enable server file deletion.

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise TechniquesAI

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.

attack.mitre.org →

T1070.004 File Deletion Stealth

Adversaries may delete files left behind by the actions of their intrusion activity.

attack.mitre.org →

Why these techniques?

Direct remote unauthenticated exploitation of public-facing WordPress plugin (T1190) via flawed delete_files() enabling arbitrary file deletion (T1070.004), which can lead to RCE/full compromise.

Confidence: HIGH · MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise v18.1

NVD Description

The Icons Factory plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Arbitrary File Deletion due to insufficient authorization and improper path validation within the delete_files() function in all versions up to, and including, 1.6.12. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to…

to delete arbitrary files on the server, which can easily lead to remote code execution when the right file is deleted (such as wp-config.php).

Deeper analysisAI

CVE-2025-7778 is an arbitrary file deletion vulnerability in the Icons Factory plugin for WordPress, affecting all versions up to and including 1.6.12. The flaw arises from insufficient authorization and improper path validation in the delete_files() function, enabling attackers to delete arbitrary files on the server. Published on 2025-08-15, it carries a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H) and maps to CWE-285 (Improper Authorization).

Unauthenticated attackers can exploit this vulnerability remotely with low complexity and no user interaction. By leveraging the flawed delete_files() function, they can target and remove any file on the server, such as wp-config.php, which can readily result in remote code execution and full server compromise.

Mitigation guidance and additional details are available in advisories from Wordfence at https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/24f31bbf-883f-4903-847a-7bfc3e45654c?source=cve, the plugin's developer section on WordPress.org at https://wordpress.org/plugins/icons-factory/#developers, and the vulnerable source code in the plugin's Trac repository at https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/icons-factory/tags/1.6.12/icons-factory.php#L1330.