CVE-2025-12654 is a vulnerability identified in the Migration, Backup, Staging – WPvivid Backup & Migration plugin for WordPress, affecting all versions up to and including 0.9.120. The root cause lies in the check_filesystem_permissions() function, which fails to properly restrict where directories can be created or what directory names are allowed. This flaw permits authenticated users with Administrator-level privileges or higher to create arbitrary directories anywhere within the file system accessible by the web server. While the vulnerability does not allow unauthenticated access or direct code execution, the ability to create directories arbitrarily can be leveraged for further attacks, such as placing malicious files or manipulating plugin behavior. The CVSS v3.1 score is 2.7 (low severity), reflecting that the attack vector is network-based, requires high privileges, no user interaction, and impacts integrity but not confidentiality or availability. No public exploits or active exploitation have been reported. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-73 (External Control of File Name or Path), indicating improper validation of filesystem paths. Since the plugin is widely used for WordPress backup and migration, this vulnerability could affect many websites relying on it for critical data management tasks. The lack of a patch link suggests that a fix may not yet be publicly available, emphasizing the need for cautious administrative controls and monitoring.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2025-12654 is on the integrity of their WordPress environments. Unauthorized directory creation by an administrator-level attacker could facilitate the placement of malicious files, potentially leading to privilege escalation, persistence, or disruption of backup and migration processes. Although confidentiality and availability are not directly affected, the integrity compromise could undermine trust in backup data and staging environments, critical for disaster recovery and site maintenance. Organizations relying heavily on WPvivid Backup & Migration for data protection may face increased risk of data manipulation or operational disruption if attackers exploit this flaw. Given the requirement for administrator privileges, the threat is more significant in environments with weak access controls or compromised administrator accounts. European entities with stringent data protection regulations (e.g., GDPR) must consider the risk of indirect data exposure or compliance violations stemming from integrity breaches. The absence of known exploits reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the potential for future attacks, especially in targeted campaigns against high-value websites.

1. Restrict administrator access strictly to trusted personnel and enforce strong authentication mechanisms such as multi-factor authentication (MFA) to reduce the risk of credential compromise. 2. Monitor filesystem changes on WordPress servers, especially directory creation events, using file integrity monitoring tools to detect suspicious activity early. 3. Regularly audit installed plugins and their versions; avoid using outdated or unsupported versions of WPvivid Backup & Migration. 4. Apply plugin updates promptly once a patch addressing CVE-2025-12654 is released by the vendor. 5. Implement least privilege principles by limiting the number of users with administrator-level access and reviewing permissions periodically. 6. Consider isolating backup and migration operations in segregated environments or containers to limit the impact of potential exploitation. 7. Conduct security awareness training for administrators to recognize and report unusual system behavior. 8. Use web application firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block anomalous requests related to directory manipulation if feasible. 9. Backup critical website data independently and verify backup integrity regularly to ensure recovery capability in case of compromise.