CVE-2025-8268: AI Engine WordPress Auth Bypass Flaw

CVE-2025-8268 Overview

CVE-2025-8268 is a missing authorization vulnerability [CWE-862] in the AI Engine plugin for WordPress. The flaw affects all versions of the plugin up to and including 2.9.5. The rest_list and delete_files functions lack proper capability checks, allowing unauthenticated attackers to enumerate and delete files uploaded by other users through the plugin's REST API endpoints.

The vulnerability was documented in a Wordfence threat intelligence report and published to the National Vulnerability Database (NVD) on September 3, 2025.

Critical Impact
Unauthenticated remote attackers can list arbitrary user-uploaded files and delete them, resulting in loss of data confidentiality and integrity on affected WordPress sites.

Affected Products

AI Engine plugin for WordPress, versions up to and including 2.9.5
WordPress sites with the AI Engine plugin installed and active
Any user-uploaded content managed through the plugin's file module

Discovery Timeline

2025-09-03 - CVE-2025-8268 published to NVD
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-8268

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability resides in the AI Engine plugin's file handling module (classes/modules/files.php). Two REST API handler functions, rest_list and delete_files, expose file management operations without validating the caller's WordPress capability or authentication state.

An unauthenticated attacker can invoke these REST routes to enumerate files uploaded by other users and issue deletion requests against them. Because the endpoints skip capability checks, WordPress does not restrict the action based on user role or ownership of the target file.

The confidentiality impact stems from disclosure of file listings that may contain sensitive user-generated content. The integrity impact arises from arbitrary deletion, which can destroy uploaded data and disrupt AI-driven workflows that depend on those files.

Root Cause

The root cause is a missing authorization check [CWE-862] on REST API callbacks. The permission_callback for the affected routes does not verify the current user's capability or ownership of the resource, violating the WordPress REST API authorization model.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based and requires no authentication or user interaction. An attacker sends crafted HTTP requests to the plugin's REST endpoints backed by the vulnerable functions referenced at lines L518, L645, and L664 of files.php in tag 2.9.5. The attacker can then iterate over returned file identifiers and issue deletion calls.

Exploitation details are documented in the Wordfence Vulnerability Report and the WordPress Plugin Code Reference (L518).

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-8268

Indicators of Compromise

Unauthenticated HTTP requests to AI Engine REST routes invoking rest_list or delete_files handlers.
Unexpected disappearance of files from the AI Engine uploads directory without corresponding admin activity.
Repeated POST or DELETE requests to /wp-json/ endpoints associated with the AI Engine plugin from a single external IP.

Detection Strategies

Review WordPress access logs for /wp-json/mwai/ (or similar AI Engine REST namespaces) requests originating from unauthenticated sessions.
Correlate REST API traffic with file deletion events in the WordPress uploads directory to identify anomalous patterns.
Deploy web application firewall (WAF) rules that flag unauthenticated calls to AI Engine file management endpoints.

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable verbose logging of REST API authentication decisions to record when permission_callback returns true for anonymous users.
Monitor filesystem integrity of the WordPress wp-content/uploads directory for unexplained deletions.
Alert on any WordPress plugin running a version at or below 2.9.5 in your inventory.

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-8268

Immediate Actions Required

Update the AI Engine plugin to a version later than 2.9.5 that includes the capability check fix.
Audit the WordPress uploads directory to confirm no unauthorized file deletions have occurred.
Restrict access to the WordPress REST API from untrusted networks where feasible.

Patch Information

The vendor addressed the vulnerability in a release subsequent to 2.9.5. Site administrators should apply the latest AI Engine plugin update through the WordPress admin dashboard. Refer to the plugin repository and the Wordfence Vulnerability Report for the fixed version reference.

Workarounds

If patching is not immediately possible, deactivate the AI Engine plugin until an upgrade can be scheduled.
Block unauthenticated requests to the AI Engine REST namespace using a WAF or reverse proxy rule.
Restrict the wp-json endpoints exposed by AI Engine to authenticated administrators via server-level access controls.

bash

# Example nginx rule to block unauthenticated access to AI Engine REST routes
location ~ ^/wp-json/mwai/ {
    if ($http_cookie !~* "wordpress_logged_in") {
        return 403;
    }
}