WP Mobile Detector - Arbitrary File Upload (CVE-2016-15043)

CVE-2016-15043 is a critical vulnerability in the WP Mobile Detector plugin for WordPress that allows unauthenticated attackers to upload arbitrary files due to missing file type validation in the resize.php file. This flaw can be exploited to achieve remote code execution on the affected server, potentially leading to full site compromise.

CrowdSec has been tracking this vulnerability and its exploits since 14th of January 2026.

According to CrowdSec data, while opportunistic exploitation dominates, a portion of threat actors trying to exploit CVE-2016-15043 apply basic targeting methods such as port or service detection. This indicates emerging patterns of selective targeting. Telemetry from the CrowdSec network also shows that exploitation activity for CVE-2016-15043 remains steady week-over-week. Attack volumes are consistent with long-term trends, indicating sustained interest from threat actors. CVE-2016-15043 continues to be an active part of the threat landscape and will likely remain this way for the forseeable future.

Attackers exploit the /wp-content/plugins/wp-mobile-detector/resize.php endpoint to upload arbitrary files, often with a .php extension, enabling remote code execution via subsequent access to /wp-content/plugins/wp-mobile-detector/cache/.