CVE-2025-14059: Software Security Vulnerability Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-69c5-xxxm-r666
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CVSS 6.5
CWE-73
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2025-14059 is a MODERATE (CVSS 6.5) security vulnerability vulnerability (CWE-73: External Control of File Name or Path) affecting Software libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The weakness occurs when the product allows user input to control or influence paths or file names that are used in filesystem operations.. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.

CVE-2025-14059 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2025-14059
GHSA Identifier GHSA-69c5-xxxm-r666
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 6.5
CWE Classification CWE-73: External Control of File Name or Path
Affected Product Software
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 6.5

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N).

Attack Vector Network (AV:N)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required Low (PR:L)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality High (C:H)
Integrity None (I:N)
Availability None (A:N)

How to Fix CVE-2025-14059

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Software dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

mvn dependency:tree

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2025-14059, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Software in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than the patched release), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree command inspects the resolved dependency graph declared in your project's POM files; it does not perform automated security scanning or inspect runtime dynamic classpaths. Always verify runtime container classpaths and shaded JARs.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-73: External Control of File Name or Path, where the product allows user input to control or influence paths or file names that are used in filesystem operations. In Software, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

The EmailKit plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Arbitrary File Read via Path Traversal in all versions up to, and including, 1.6.1. This is due to missing path validation in the create_template REST API endpoint where user-controlled input from the emailkit-editor-template parameter is passed directly to file_get_contents() without sanitization. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers with Author-level permissions or higher to read arbitrary files on the server, including sensitive configuration files like /etc/passwd and wp-config.php, via the REST API. The file contents are stored in post meta and can be exfiltrated through MetForm's email confirmation feature.

References

NVD — CVE-2025-14059 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-14059
plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/emailkit/tr... WEB
https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/emailkit/trunk/includes/Admin/Api/CheckForm.php#L163
plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset WEB
https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset?sfp_email=&sfph_mail=&reponame=&new=3419280%40emailkit%2Ftrunk&old=3373383%40emailkit%2Ftrunk&sfp_email=&sfph_mail=#file1
www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulner... WEB
https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/91ebe8cb-99ec-4380-a77e-17e17144a17e?source=cve

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2025-14059?
CVE-2025-14059 is a security vulnerability in Software classified as a security vulnerability vulnerability under CWE-73: External Control of File Name or Path.
Which Software versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to current release patches.
What version fixes CVE-2025-14059?
Upgrading to current release patches (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2025-14059?
CVE-2025-14059 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.5 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2025-14059?
CVE-2025-14059 is classified under CWE-73: External Control of File Name or Path (The product allows user input to control or influence paths or file names that are used in filesystem operations.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2025-14059?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-69c5-xxxm-r666",
  "modified" : "2026-01-07T12:31:21Z",
  "published" : "2026-01-07T12:31:21Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2025-14059" ],
  "details" : "The EmailKit plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Arbitrary File Read via Path Traversal in all versions up to, and including, 1.6.1. This is due to missing path validation in the create_template REST API endpoint where user-controlled input from the emailkit-editor-template parameter is passed directly to file_get_contents() without sanitization. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers with Author-level permissions or higher to read arbitrary files on the server, including sensitive configuration files like /etc/passwd and wp-config.php, via the REST API. The file contents are stored in post meta and can be exfiltrated through MetForm's email confirmation feature.",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-14059"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/emailkit/trunk/includes/Admin/Api/CheckForm.php#L163"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset?sfp_email=&sfph_mail=&reponame=&new=3419280%40emailkit%2Ftrunk&old=3373383%40emailkit%2Ftrunk&sfp_email=&sfph_mail=#file1"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/91ebe8cb-99ec-4380-a77e-17e17144a17e?source=cve"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-73" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : false,
    "github_reviewed_at" : null,
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-01-07T12:16:51Z"
  }
}