CVE-2025-56430 identifies a directory traversal vulnerability classified under CWE-22 in Fearless Geek Media's FearlessCMS version 0.0.2-15. The vulnerability resides in the plugin-handler.php script, specifically within the deleteDirectory function. An attacker can craft a malicious request that traverses directories outside the intended scope, enabling deletion of arbitrary directories on the server. This leads to a denial of service condition by removing critical files or directories necessary for the CMS operation. The vulnerability requires no authentication (PR:N) and no user interaction (UI:N), and can be exploited remotely over the network (AV:N) with low attack complexity (AC:L). The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.5, reflecting a high severity primarily due to the complete loss of availability (A:H) without affecting confidentiality or integrity. No patches or fixes have been published at the time of disclosure, and no known exploits have been observed in the wild. The vulnerability's impact is limited to availability disruption but can cause significant operational downtime and potential data loss if backups are not maintained. The root cause is insufficient input validation allowing directory traversal sequences (e.g., ../) to reach the file system deletion logic. This vulnerability highlights the need for secure coding practices around file system operations and strict validation of user-supplied input paths.

For European organizations using FearlessCMS, this vulnerability poses a significant risk of service disruption due to denial of service attacks. The ability to delete arbitrary directories remotely can lead to loss of website functionality, data loss, and operational downtime. This can affect public-facing websites, internal portals, or any critical services relying on FearlessCMS. Organizations in sectors such as government, healthcare, education, and media that depend on this CMS may face reputational damage and financial losses. The lack of confidentiality or integrity impact reduces risks related to data breaches, but availability loss can still disrupt business continuity and user access. Additionally, recovery efforts may require restoring from backups, increasing operational costs and downtime. The absence of known exploits currently provides a window for proactive mitigation, but the ease of exploitation and high impact on availability make timely response critical.

1. Immediately restrict access to the plugin-handler.php endpoint using network-level controls such as firewalls or web application firewalls (WAF) to limit exposure to trusted IP addresses only. 2. Implement strict input validation and sanitization on all parameters passed to the deleteDirectory function to prevent directory traversal sequences (e.g., disallow '../' or absolute paths). 3. Employ least privilege principles for the web server process to ensure it cannot delete critical system or application directories outside its designated scope. 4. Monitor server logs and file system activity for unusual deletion patterns or access attempts to plugin-handler.php. 5. Maintain regular, tested backups of CMS data and configurations to enable rapid recovery in case of successful exploitation. 6. Engage with Fearless Geek Media for official patches or updates and apply them promptly once available. 7. Consider deploying runtime application self-protection (RASP) tools that can detect and block directory traversal attacks in real time. 8. Conduct security code reviews and penetration testing focused on file system operations within the CMS to identify and remediate similar vulnerabilities.