Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2025-15438

critical Nessus Plugin ID 281696

Synopsis

The Linux/Unix host has one or more packages installed with a vulnerability that the vendor indicates will not be patched.

Description

The Linux/Unix host has one or more packages installed that are impacted by a vulnerability without a vendor supplied patch available.

- A vulnerability was determined in PluXml up to 5.8.22. Affected is the function FileCookieJar::__destruct of the file core/admin/medias.php of the component Media Management Module. Executing manipulation of the argument File can lead to deserialization. The attack can be launched remotely. The exploit has been publicly disclosed and may be utilized. The vendor was informed early about this issue and announced that [w]e fix this issue in the next version 5.8.23. A patch for it is ready. (CVE-2025-15438)

Note that Nessus relies on the presence of the package as reported by the vendor.

Solution

There is no known solution at this time.

See Also

https://ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2025-15438

Plugin Details

Severity: Critical

ID: 281696

File Name: unpatched_CVE_2025_15438.nasl

Version: 1.1

Type: local

Agent: unix

Family: Misc.

Published: 1/5/2026

Updated: 1/5/2026

Supported Sensors: Frictionless Assessment AWS, Frictionless Assessment Azure, Frictionless Assessment Agent, Nessus Agent, Agentless Assessment, Nessus

Risk Information

VPR

Risk Factor: Medium

Score: 6.7

CVSS v2

Risk Factor: High

Base Score: 7.5

Temporal Score: 6.4

Vector: CVSS2#AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P

CVSS Score Source: CVE-2025-15438

CVSS v3

Risk Factor: Critical

Base Score: 9.8

Temporal Score: 9

Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Temporal Vector: CVSS:3.0/E:U/RL:U/RC:C

Vulnerability Information

CPE: p-cpe:/a:canonical:ubuntu_linux:pluxml, cpe:/o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:20.04:-:lts, cpe:/o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:16.04:-:lts, cpe:/o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:18.04:-:lts, cpe:/o:canonical:ubuntu_linux:22.04:-:lts

Required KB Items: Host/local_checks_enabled, Host/cpu, global_settings/vendor_unpatched, Host/OS/identifier

Exploit Ease: No known exploits are available

Vulnerability Publication Date: 1/2/2026

Reference Information

CVE: CVE-2025-15438