VulnerabilityPublished 23 Nov 2025

CVE-2025-13573: projectworlds can pass malicious payloads · Unrestricted Upload

Affects projectworlds can pass malicious payloadsSource CVE Database V5

Public exploit available · CVSS 5.3 Medium.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 10:12 UTC

CVSS 4.0 base score

5.3Medium

How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.

EPSS: 0.3% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 31% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.

CVSS:4.0/AV:N/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:L/VI:L/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N/E:P

Base metrics

Attack Vector: Network
Attack Complexity: Low
Attack Requirements: None
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: None
Vulnerable system confidentiality: Low
Vulnerable system integrity: Low
Vulnerable system availability: Low
Subsequent system confidentiality: None
Subsequent system integrity: None
Subsequent system availability: None

Threat metrics

Exploit Maturity: POC

Bold values are the worst case: easiest to exploit or largest impact.

Attack Vector: Network: The vulnerable system is bound to the network stack and the set of possible attackers extends beyond the other options listed below, up to and including the entire Internet. Such a vulnerability is often termed “remotely exploitable” and can be thought of as an attack being exploitable at the protocol level one or more network hops away (e.g., across one or more routers).
Attack Complexity: Low: The attacker must take no measurable action to exploit the vulnerability. The attack requires no target-specific circumvention to exploit the vulnerability. An attacker can expect repeatable success against the vulnerable system.
Attack Requirements: None: The successful attack does not depend on the deployment and execution conditions of the vulnerable system. The attacker can expect to be able to reach the vulnerability and execute the exploit under all or most instances of the vulnerability.
Privileges Required: Low: The attacker requires privileges that provide basic capabilities that are typically limited to settings and resources owned by a single low-privileged user. Alternatively, an attacker with Low privileges has the ability to access only non-sensitive resources.
User Interaction: None: The vulnerable system can be exploited without interaction from any human user, other than the attacker.
Vulnerable system confidentiality: Low: There is some loss of confidentiality. Access to some restricted information is obtained, but the attacker does not have control over what information is obtained, or the amount or kind of loss is limited. The information disclosure does not cause a direct, serious loss to the Vulnerable System.
Vulnerable system integrity: Low: Modification of data is possible, but the attacker does not have control over the consequence of a modification, or the amount of modification is limited. The data modification does not have a direct, serious impact to the Vulnerable System.
Vulnerable system availability: Low: Performance is reduced or there are interruptions in resource availability. Even if repeated exploitation of the vulnerability is possible, the attacker does not have the ability to completely deny service to legitimate users. The resources in the Vulnerable System are either partially available all of the time, or fully available only some of the time, but overall there is no direct, serious consequence to the Vulnerable System.
Subsequent system confidentiality: None: There is no loss of confidentiality within the Subsequent System or all confidentiality impact is constrained to the Vulnerable System.
Subsequent system integrity: None: There is no loss of integrity within the Subsequent System or all integrity impact is constrained to the Vulnerable System.
Subsequent system availability: None: There is no impact to availability within the Subsequent System or all availability impact is constrained to the Vulnerable System.
Exploit Maturity: POC: Based on threat intelligence sources each of the following must apply: · Proof-of-concept is publicly available · No knowledge of reported attempts to exploit this vulnerability · No knowledge of publicly available solutions used to simplify attempts to exploit the vulnerability

Definitions: FIRST CVSS v4.0 specification.

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 23 Nov 2025
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: evidence found.
CVSS exploit maturity: proof of concept public
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), CVSS vector, the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponised: Public exploit code exists in Metasploit or Exploit-DB, or CISA SSVC or the CVSS exploit maturity reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
projectworlds can pass malicious payloads	Affected =1.0	Fixed in–

AI-suggested

Immediately restrict file upload types on the /add_book.php endpoint to allow only safe, expected image formats (e.g., JPEG, PNG) and reject all others.
Implement robust server-side validation of uploaded files, including MIME type checks, file extension verification, and content inspection to detect malicious payloads.
Employ file upload size limits and scan uploaded files with antivirus or malware detection tools before processing or storage.
Isolate uploaded files in non-executable directories and disable execution permissions to prevent execution of malicious code.
Monitor web server logs and application logs for unusual upload activity or access patterns indicative of exploitation attempts.
If possible, apply virtual patching via web application firewalls (WAFs) to block suspicious upload requests targeting the image parameter.
Engage with the vendor or community for official patches or updates and plan for timely deployment once available.
Conduct security awareness training for developers and administrators on secure file upload practices.
Review and tighten access controls around the upload functionality to limit exposure.
Regularly audit and update the projectworlds installation to newer, secure versions when released.

Description

A security flaw has been discovered in projectworlds can pass malicious payloads up to 1.0. This vulnerability affects unknown code of the file /add_book.php. The manipulation of the argument image results in unrestricted upload. The attack can be executed remotely. The exploit has been released to the public and may be exploited.

Impact

For European organizations, exploitation of CVE-2025-13573 could result in unauthorized remote code execution, data breaches, defacement, or disruption of services. Confidentiality may be compromised if attackers gain access to sensitive data through uploaded malicious files. Integrity could be affected by unauthorized modification or insertion of malicious content. Availability might be impacted if attackers deploy ransomware or cause denial-of-service conditions. Given the public availability of exploit code, the risk of automated or opportunistic attacks is elevated. Organizations in sectors such as government, finance, healthcare, and critical infrastructure are particularly at risk due to the potential for targeted exploitation and the sensitive nature of their data. The medium severity suggests that while the impact is significant, it may not lead to full system compromise without additional vulnerabilities or misconfigurations. However, the ease of exploitation and remote attack vector necessitate prompt attention to prevent lateral movement or escalation within networks.

References

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Exploitation evidence

What to do

Affected software

Description

AI analysisMachine-generated, updated 1 Dec 2025, 00:09 UTC

Technical details

References

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