CVE-2025-13972 | WatchTowerHQ <= 3.16.0 - Authenticated (Administrator+) Arbitrary File Read via 'wht_download_big_object_origin' Parameter

The WatchTowerHQ plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to arbitrary file read via the 'wht_download_big_object_origin' parameter in all versions up to, and including, 3.16.0. This is due to insufficient path validation in the handle_big_object_download_request function. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with administrator-level access and a valid access token, to read arbitrary files on the server, which can contain sensitive information such as database credentials and authentication keys.

Published: 2025-12-12 Last update: 2026-04-15 Assigner: [email protected] Source: [email protected]

Conclusion & alert: CVE-2025-13972 is rated Low Risk (32.2/100): CVSS Medium severity, with low exploitation likelihood (EPSS 0.15%). Mandatory action: Monitor for updates and reassess as exploit intelligence or EPSS changes.

Risk is dynamic; we continuously reassess and refresh what is shown on this page as upstream context changes.

Exploit prediction scoring system (EPSS) score for CVE-2025-13972

EPSS lead: Daily EPSS estimates relative likelihood of exploitation; percentile ranks this CVE among scored vulnerabilities (higher = more severe relative rank).

# Date Old EPSS score New EPSS score Delta (New - Old)
1 2026-05-11 0.12% 0.15% +0.04%
2 2026-05-10 0.15% 0.12% -0.03%
3 2026-01-06 0.15%

Full EPSS history (4 records total)

Common vulnerability scoring system (CVSS) metrics for CVE-2025-13972

CVSS metrics for this CVE.

Base score Version Severity Vector Exploitability Impact Score source
4.9 3.1 MEDIUM
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N Click to expand
Attack vector (AV:N)
Could be attacked over the internet or any normal routed network—not just someone sitting at the machine.
Attack complexity (AC:L)
Once they can reach the bug, pulling it off is straightforward—no weird race conditions or rare setup.
Privileges required (PR:H)
They need powerful rights—admin, root, or similar—before this pays off.
User interaction (UI:N)
Nobody has to click “OK” or open a trap file; it can work without a victim helping.
Scope (S:U)
Damage stays in the same “trust bubble” as the broken component—no big spill into unrelated systems.
Confidentiality (C:H)
Serious risk that confidential data gets exposed in a big way.
Integrity (I:N)
Data isn’t meaningfully altered or forged.
Availability (A:N)
Service keeps running; no real outage angle.
1.2 3.6 [email protected]

Weakness enumeration for CVE-2025-13972

Affected software / configurations for CVE-2025-13972

Vendor Product Version Raw CPE
No affected products in dataset.

References for CVE-2025-13972

cvelogic Threat Intelligence