Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
This vulnerability affects the WordPress User Photo plugin 0.9.4. Uploaded photos were not fully validated, allowing a malicious upload that could execute on the hosting server even before approval. For affected sites, this could turn a profile-photo feature into a path for server compromise.
Executive priority
Prioritize remediation for any internet-facing WordPress site using this plugin version. The business risk is server takeover through a trusted upload feature, but confirmed active exploitation is not supported by the provided sources.
Technical view
CVE-2013-1916 is a CWE-434 unrestricted file upload issue in WordPress Plugin User Photo 0.9.4. The source states uploaded photos are only partially validated and a backdoor can be uploaded and executed before photo approval. CVSS is not provided, and required user role or authentication level is not stated.
Likely exposure
Exposure is likely limited to WordPress sites running User Photo 0.9.4 with photo upload functionality available. The provided sources do not confirm vulnerable configurations, required privileges, or whether later versions are fixed.
Exploitation context
The CVE references an Exploit-DB entry, indicating public exploit information exists. CISA KEV status is false in the bundle, and no cited source confirms active exploitation in the wild.
Researcher notes
Evidence is concise but direct: the CVE describes executable backdoor upload before approval. The bundle lacks CVSS, affected privilege requirements, and definitive fixed-version details. Treat Exploit-DB as public exploit availability, not proof of current exploitation.
Mitigation direction
- Disable or remove User Photo 0.9.4 if it is installed.
- Check vendor plugin and Trac guidance for a fixed version or replacement.
- Restrict photo upload capability to trusted users until remediated.
- Review uploaded content and web-accessible directories for suspicious non-image files.
- Back up and investigate any site showing suspicious uploaded executables.
Validation and detection
- Inventory WordPress sites for the User Photo plugin and exact version.
- Confirm whether version 0.9.4 is installed and active.
- Review upload directories for executable or unexpected file types.
- Check web server logs for requests to recently uploaded files.
- Document any exposed instances and remediation status.
Public sources used
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context
These mappings and lookup hints may be relevant to the vulnerability behavior, CWE, affected product, or exposure path. Glexia-inferred context is not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, CWE, or CVE Program mapping.
ATT&CK lookup starting points
Use these exact CWE pages and searches to review the Glexia ATT&CK library from this CVE's weakness and description context.
CWE-434: File access and web shell behavior lookup
File traversal and upload weaknesses can lead teams to review file, web shell, execution, and collection telemetry. Open the exact CWE lookup page first, then review the ATT&CK searches from that MITRE weakness context. This is a Glexia lookup hint, not an official ATT&CK mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2013-1916 mapping review
Open the CVE-to-ATT&CK bridge for reviewed, inferred, or future official mappings tied to this CVE.
Open ATT&CK lookup- Severity
- Unknown
- CVSS
- Not scored
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5
These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.
CVSS and timeline data
No CVSS vectors or timeline events were available in the normalized CVE source material.
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://wordpress.org/plugins/user-photo/#developersCVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/347137CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
- https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/16181CVE reference · x_refsource_MISC
Products and packages named in the record
CWE details
CWE links open Glexia weakness intelligence pages with official CWE context, developer remediation guidance, and related CVE mappings.
Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type
Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.