Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
A vulnerable WordPress plugin allowed unauthenticated visitors to upload arbitrary files to the server. For a public website, that can become full site compromise, data theft, defacement, or malware hosting. The bundle describes WP Mobile Detector versions up to and including 3.5 as affected.
Executive priority
Treat this as urgent for any internet-facing WordPress site using the plugin. The vulnerability is unauthenticated and can lead to remote code execution, with historical in-the-wild exploitation reported.
Technical view
CVE-2016-15043 is CWE-434 in WP Mobile Detector for WordPress. Missing file type validation in resize.php permits unauthenticated arbitrary file upload. The CVSS 3.1 score is 9.8 because exploitation is network-reachable, low complexity, requires no privileges or user interaction, and can impact confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
Likely exposure
Exposure is likely limited to WordPress sites running WP Mobile Detector versions up to and including 3.5. Publicly reachable WordPress installations are the main concern. The bundle does not establish exposure for other products or newer versions.
Exploitation context
Sucuri reported exploitation in the wild in June 2016, and public vulnerability references exist. The provided bundle does not show CISA KEV listing and does not prove current active exploitation in 2026.
Researcher notes
The affected range is described as up to and including 3.5. The bundle’s structured affected field appears inconsistent with the narrative, so verify against vendor and WordPress.org records before final scoping.
Mitigation direction
- Inventory WordPress sites for the WP Mobile Detector plugin and installed version.
- Remove the plugin if it is no longer required.
- If still required, follow WordPress.org or vendor guidance for a fixed release.
- Review web roots and upload directories for unexpected files.
- Harden WordPress file permissions and restrict plugin management access.
Validation and detection
- Check each WordPress installation for WP Mobile Detector version up to 3.5.
- Review server logs for suspicious access to the plugin resize.php file.
- Inspect upload-capable directories for unexpected executable files.
- Confirm the plugin is removed or updated according to vendor guidance.
- Run vulnerability scanning that includes WordPress plugin checks.
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 lookupExecution behavior lookup
The CVE wording references code or command execution, so execution technique review may help defensive triage. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupFile access behavior lookup
The CVE wording references file access or upload behavior, so file telemetry and web shell review may help. This is a Glexia inferred lookup path, not an official MITRE, ATT&CK, or CVE Program mapping.
Open ATT&CK lookupCVE-2016-15043 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
- Critical
- CVSS
- 9.8 (3.1)
- Known Exploited
- No
- Published
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
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 vector scores
1 official scoreWe collect every scored CVSS vector available in the official CNA and ADP containers. When more than one version is present, the table keeps the source vectors side by side instead of collapsing them into the highest score.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H3.95.9Primary CVE scoreVulnerability scoring details
Base CVSS 3.1 score
9.8CriticalVector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Source materials
- CVE List V5 sourceCVE List V5
- https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/5a5d5dbd-36f0-4886-adf8-045ec9c2e306?source=cveCVE reference
- https://blog.sucuri.net/2016/06/wp-mobile-detector-vulnerability-being-exploited-in-the-wild.htmlCVE reference
- https://www.pluginvulnerabilities.com/2016/05/31/aribitrary-file-upload-vulnerability-in-wp-mobile-detector/CVE reference
- https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-mobile-detector/changelog/CVE reference
- https://wpscan.com/vulnerability/e4739674-eed4-417e-8c4d-2f5351b057cfCVE reference
- https://aadityapurani.com/2016/06/03/mobile-detector-poc/CVE reference
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.