CVE-2025-14675: Meta Box Plugin for WordPress Authenticated (Contributor+) Arbitrary File Deletion Vulnerability

HIGH
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-m4q3-832v-44j6
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CVSS 7.2
CWE-22
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2025-14675 is a HIGH (CVSS 7.2) authenticated (contributor+) arbitrary file deletion vulnerability (CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')) affecting Meta Box Plugin for WordPress libraries in the Packagist ecosystem. The issue involves authenticated (contributor+) arbitrary file deletion via ajax_delete_file. Remediation is available by upgrading affected packages to version 5.11.2.

CVE-2025-14675 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2025-14675
GHSA Identifier GHSA-m4q3-832v-44j6
Severity HIGH
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 7.2
CWE Classification CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
Affected Product Meta Box Plugin for WordPress
Package Ecosystem Packagist
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 7.2

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

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

How to Fix CVE-2025-14675

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

wpmetabox/meta-box fixed: 5.11.2 
Upgrade wpmetabox/meta-box to 5.11.2
Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

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

inspect dependencies for wpmetabox/meta-box

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your application is affected by CVE-2025-14675, inspect your project dependencies for Meta Box Plugin for WordPress:

inspect dependencies for wpmetabox/meta-box

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Meta Box Plugin for WordPress in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than 5.11.2), your application is affected.

Note: Verify declared build manifests and deployed runtime container environments.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal'), where the product uses external input to construct a pathname that is intended to identify a file or directory that is located underneath a restricted parent directory, but the product does not properly neutralize special elements within the pathname that can cause the pathname to resolve to a location that is outside of the restricted directory. In Meta Box Plugin for WordPress, 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 Meta Box plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to arbitrary file deletion due to insufficient file path validation in the 'ajax_delete_file' function in all versions up to, and including, 5.11.1. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Contributor-level access and above, to delete arbitrary files on the server, which can easily lead to remote code execution when the right file is deleted (such as wp-config.php).

CVE-2025-14675 Affected Meta Box Plugin for WordPress Versions

1 component(s)
Fixed Versions:
5.11.2
Product / Package Ecosystem Affected Versions Fixed Version
wpmetabox/meta-box
 Packagist
< 5.11.2
5.11.2

References

NVD — CVE-2025-14675 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-14675
Meta Box Plugin for WordPress Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/wpmetabox/meta-box/pull/1654
Security Fix Commit FIX COMMIT
https://github.com/wpmetabox/meta-box/commit/08c6511607b9cc9fe8d0de7a7e91c9d5d415f831
Meta Box Plugin for WordPress Source Repository REPOSITORY
https://github.com/wpmetabox/meta-box
plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/meta-box/ta... WEB
https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/meta-box/tags/5.11.0/inc/fields/file.php#L30
plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/meta-box/ta... WEB
https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/meta-box/tags/5.11.0/inc/fields/file.php#L54
plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/3475210/m... WEB
https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/3475210/meta-box#file3
www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulner... WEB
https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/036467de-95bb-4bfd-9522-df8dc17f3102?source=cve

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2025-14675?
CVE-2025-14675 is a security vulnerability in Meta Box Plugin for WordPress involving Authenticated (Contributor+) Arbitrary File Deletion via ajax_delete_file under CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal').
Which Meta Box Plugin for WordPress versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to 5.11.2 across affected packages: wpmetabox/meta-box.
What version fixes CVE-2025-14675?
Upgrading to 5.11.2 (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
Is wpmetabox/meta-box affected?
Yes, wpmetabox/meta-box is affected in releases prior to 5.11.2. Upgrade your dependency to 5.11.2 or later.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2025-14675?
CVE-2025-14675 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 7.2 (HIGH) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2025-14675?
CVE-2025-14675 is classified under CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') (The product uses external input to construct a pathname that is intended to identify a file or directory that is located underneath a restricted parent directory, but the product does not properly neutralize special elements within the pathname that can cause the pathname to resolve to a location that is outside of the restricted directory.).
How can I check Packagist dependencies for CVE-2025-14675?
Run the dependency tree command: 'inspect dependencies for wpmetabox/meta-box'. 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-m4q3-832v-44j6",
  "modified" : "2026-03-10T19:34:19Z",
  "published" : "2026-03-07T09:30:14Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2025-14675" ],
  "summary" : "Meta Box Plugin for WordPress: Authenticated (Contributor+) Arbitrary File Deletion via ajax_delete_file",
  "details" : "The Meta Box plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to arbitrary file deletion due to insufficient file path validation in the 'ajax_delete_file' function in all versions up to, and including, 5.11.1. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Contributor-level access and above, to delete arbitrary files on the server, which can easily lead to remote code execution when the right file is deleted (such as wp-config.php).",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ {
    "package" : {
      "ecosystem" : "Packagist",
      "name" : "wpmetabox/meta-box"
    },
    "ranges" : [ {
      "type" : "ECOSYSTEM",
      "events" : [ {
        "introduced" : "0"
      }, {
        "fixed" : "5.11.2"
      } ]
    } ]
  } ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-14675"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/wpmetabox/meta-box/pull/1654"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://github.com/wpmetabox/meta-box/commit/08c6511607b9cc9fe8d0de7a7e91c9d5d415f831"
  }, {
    "type" : "PACKAGE",
    "url" : "https://github.com/wpmetabox/meta-box"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/meta-box/tags/5.11.0/inc/fields/file.php#L30"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/meta-box/tags/5.11.0/inc/fields/file.php#L54"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/3475210/meta-box#file3"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/036467de-95bb-4bfd-9522-df8dc17f3102?source=cve"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-22" ],
    "severity" : "HIGH",
    "github_reviewed" : true,
    "github_reviewed_at" : "2026-03-10T19:34:19Z",
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-03-07T08:16:05Z"
  }
}