CVE-2022-38140 HIGH

CVE-2022-38140: WordPress SEO Plugin by Squirrly SEO Plugin <= 12.1.10 is vulnerable to Arbitrary File Upload

Vendor Squirrly

Product SEO Plugin by Squirrly SEO (WordPress plugin)

Weakness CWE-434 · Unrestricted file upload

Published November 28, 2022

Last update April 28, 2026

View on NVD All CVEs

CVSS base score

7.6/10

Attack vector Network

Attack complexity Low

Privileges required Low

User interaction None

Confidentiality Low

Integrity High

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:L

What the vulnerability does

01Description

Auth. (contributor+) Arbitrary File Upload in SEO Plugin by Squirrly SEO plugin <= 12.1.10 on WordPress.

Explanation of Vulnerability in Simple Terms

02Summary

The Squirrly SEO WordPress plugin through version 12.1.10 does not properly validate file uploads, allowing authenticated users to upload arbitrary files to the site. An attacker with a low-privilege account can upload malicious files that may compromise site integrity or enable further attacks. Update the plugin immediately to a version newer than 12.1.10.

What an attacker can do

03Attacker Capabilities

Upload arbitrary files to the site, potentially including executable code or malware.

Potential impact on your site

04Site Impact

Malicious files could be uploaded to your site, leading to data theft, malware distribution, or site defacement.

Conditions required to exploit

05Prerequisites

Attacker must have a low-privilege WordPress account (subscriber or contributor level or higher).

Key dates

06Disclosure timeline

November 28, 2022 CVE published

April 28, 2026 Record updated

External resources

07References

NVD — National Vulnerability Database https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2022-38140 CWE — Common Weakness Enumeration https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/434.html AskarLabs — CWE-434 write-up Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type

Related vulnerabilities

Identifiers

CVE CVE-2022-38140

CWE CWE-434

CVSS 7.6 / HIGH

Affected versions