CVE-2025-7438 is a high-severity vulnerability identified in the MasterStudy LMS Pro plugin for WordPress, developed by StylemixThemes. This vulnerability arises from insufficient validation of file types in the 'install_and_activate_plugin' function, allowing authenticated users with Subscriber-level privileges or higher to upload arbitrary files to the server hosting the affected WordPress site. The core issue is classified under CWE-434, which pertains to unrestricted upload of files with dangerous types. Exploiting this vulnerability could enable an attacker to upload malicious files, potentially leading to remote code execution (RCE) on the server. However, exploitation is noted to be challenging due to timing constraints and environmental dependencies, which may limit the ease and frequency of successful attacks. The vulnerability affects all versions up to and including 4.7.9 of the plugin. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 7.5, reflecting high severity, with vector metrics indicating network attack vector (AV:N), high attack complexity (AC:H), low privileges required (PR:L), no user interaction (UI:N), unchanged scope (S:U), and high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability (C:H/I:H/A:H). No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no official patches have been released at the time of this report.

For European organizations utilizing WordPress sites with the MasterStudy LMS Pro plugin, this vulnerability poses a significant risk. Educational institutions, e-learning platforms, and corporate training portals relying on this plugin could face unauthorized access and control over their web servers. Successful exploitation could lead to data breaches involving sensitive educational records, intellectual property theft, defacement of websites, or deployment of malware within organizational networks. The high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability means that attackers could exfiltrate data, alter content, or disrupt services, potentially causing reputational damage and regulatory compliance issues under GDPR. The requirement for only Subscriber-level access lowers the barrier for exploitation from internal or external attackers who can register or gain low-level access, increasing the threat surface. Although exploitation complexity is high, targeted attacks against high-value educational or corporate targets in Europe remain a concern, especially given the strategic importance of digital learning infrastructure in the region.

European organizations should implement the following specific mitigation steps: 1) Immediately audit WordPress installations to identify the presence and version of the MasterStudy LMS Pro plugin. 2) Restrict user registration and privilege escalation pathways to minimize the risk of unauthorized Subscriber-level accounts. 3) Employ web application firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block suspicious file upload attempts targeting the vulnerable function. 4) Monitor server logs for unusual file upload activities and anomalous execution patterns. 5) Isolate WordPress environments using containerization or sandboxing to limit the impact of potential RCE. 6) Until an official patch is released, consider disabling or removing the plugin if feasible, or restrict plugin installation and activation capabilities to trusted administrators only. 7) Implement strict file upload validation and scanning at the server level to detect and quarantine potentially malicious files. 8) Maintain regular backups and incident response plans tailored to web application compromises. These measures go beyond generic advice by focusing on access control hardening, proactive monitoring, and environment segmentation specific to this vulnerability's characteristics.