CVE-2025-7780 is a vulnerability classified under CWE-200 (Exposure of Sensitive Information to an Unauthorized Actor) affecting the tigroumeow AI Engine plugin for WordPress, specifically all versions up to and including 2.9.4. The vulnerability arises from the simpleTranscribeAudio endpoint, which fails to properly restrict URL schemes before invoking the get_audio() function. This flaw allows authenticated users with Subscriber-level privileges or higher to exploit the endpoint to read arbitrary files from the web server's filesystem. The retrieved files can then be exfiltrated through the plugin's integration with the OpenAI API, effectively bypassing normal access controls and exposing sensitive server-side data. The vulnerability has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.5, indicating a medium severity level. The attack vector is network-based (AV:N), requires low attack complexity (AC:L), and privileges at the level of a logged-in user (PR:L), but does not require user interaction (UI:N). The scope remains unchanged (S:U), and the impact is primarily on confidentiality (C:H) with no impact on integrity or availability. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no official patches have been linked yet. This vulnerability is significant because it allows relatively low-privileged authenticated users to access potentially sensitive files on the server, which could include configuration files, credentials, or other private data, thereby compromising the confidentiality of the affected systems.

For European organizations using WordPress sites with the tigroumeow AI Engine plugin, this vulnerability poses a risk of sensitive data leakage. Attackers with subscriber-level access—often easily obtainable through compromised accounts or weak registration controls—could access confidential files such as database credentials, private keys, or proprietary content stored on the web server. This exposure could lead to further attacks, including lateral movement within the network, data breaches, or intellectual property theft. Given the widespread use of WordPress across European businesses, including SMEs and large enterprises, the vulnerability could affect sectors handling sensitive personal data under GDPR, such as healthcare, finance, and e-commerce. The confidentiality breach could result in regulatory penalties, reputational damage, and financial losses. Additionally, the integration with OpenAI API for exfiltration could complicate detection, as data may be sent to external services under the guise of legitimate plugin activity. The lack of impact on integrity and availability reduces the risk of service disruption but does not mitigate the serious confidentiality concerns.

European organizations should immediately audit their WordPress installations to identify the presence of the tigroumeow AI Engine plugin and verify the version in use. Until an official patch is released, practical mitigations include: 1) Restricting access to the WordPress backend to trusted IP addresses or via VPN to limit authenticated user access; 2) Enforcing strong authentication and monitoring for unusual subscriber account activity to prevent account compromise; 3) Implementing Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block suspicious requests targeting the simpleTranscribeAudio endpoint, particularly those attempting to exploit URL scheme manipulation; 4) Disabling or removing the AI Engine plugin if it is not essential to reduce the attack surface; 5) Monitoring outbound traffic for anomalous data flows that could indicate exfiltration attempts via the OpenAI API integration; 6) Reviewing file permissions on the web server to ensure sensitive files are not accessible by the web server user beyond necessity; 7) Applying the principle of least privilege to WordPress user roles to minimize the number of users with subscriber or higher privileges; and 8) Keeping WordPress core and all plugins updated and subscribing to vendor advisories for timely patch application once available.