Is CVE-2014-8739 actively exploited?

Yes. Previdian tracks CVE-2014-8739 as a known exploited vulnerability. Confidence is high.

What exploitation activity has Previdian observed?

Previdian has not yet recorded sensor-observed exploitation attempts for CVE-2014-8739. Our sensors continue to monitor for activity targeting this CVE.

Which versions are affected?

Version-level data is not available; Previdian tracks jQuery File Upload Plugin.

No. CVE-2014-8739 is not currently listed in CISA KEV.

CVE-2014-8739 Exploited in the Wild — File Upload Plugin

Decision summary

What security teams need to know first

Direct answers before the deeper technical record.

What it is

CVE-2014-8739 is an unauthenticated vulnerability affecting jQuery File Upload Plugin. Unrestricted file upload vulnerability in server/php/UploadHandler.php in the jQuery File Upload Plugin 6.4.4 for jQuery, as used...

Is it exploited?

Yes. Previdian tracks this CVE as a known exploited vulnerability. Confidence is high. Also confirmed by third-party sources.

Who is affected?

jQuery / File Upload Plugin.

What should we do?

Prioritize remediation. Validate affected assets and apply vendor fixes on an accelerated timeline.

Overview

File Upload Plugin

Unrestricted file upload vulnerability in server/php/UploadHandler.php in the jQuery File Upload Plugin 6.4.4 for jQuery, as used in the Creative Solutions Creative Contact Form (formerly Sexy Contact Form) before 1.0.0 for WordPress and before 2.0.1 for Joomla!, allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code by uploading a PHP file with an PHP extension, then accessing it via a direct request to the file in files/, as exploited in the wild in October 2014.

Published: 08 Feb 2020
Exploitation Reported: 08 Feb 2020
Attack vector: Remote
Complexity: Low
Privileges: None
User interaction: None

CVE References

CVE Record CVE.org · CVE Record https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2014-8739
exploit-db.com/exploits/35057 exploit-db.com · CVE Record https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/35057/
exploit-db.com/exploits/36811 exploit-db.com · CVE Record https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/36811/
OSS-Security Mailing List openwall.com · CVE Record http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2014/11/11/4
OSS-Security Mailing List openwall.com · CVE Record http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2014/11/11/5
OSS-Security Mailing List openwall.com · CVE Record http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2014/11/13/3
wordpress.org/plugins/sexy-contact-form/changelog wordpress.org · CVE Record https://wordpress.org/plugins/sexy-contact-form/changelog/
osvdb.org/show/osvdb/113669 osvdb.org · CVE Record http://osvdb.org/show/osvdb/113669
osvdb.org/show/osvdb/113673 osvdb.org · CVE Record http://osvdb.org/show/osvdb/113673

Exploitation evidence

Why Previdian marks this CVE as exploited

Third-party attestation and first-party sensor observation are shown separately so teams can judge the evidence chain.

Exploited in the wild

CVE

Recorded 08 Feb 2020

A trusted third party reported exploitation.

Proof of concept available

Nuclei Templates

Recorded 12 Jun 2026

Public scanner or PoC coverage increases practical exploitability.

Known exploited vulnerability sources

Per-source evidence links for KEV attestations are available through the Previdian Pro API.

Learn about Pro API access

Source	Added
CVE First	2020-02-08 17:21 UTC

Detection

Operational artifacts and observed signals

Make the evidence actionable in scanner, SOC, and edge-control workflows.

Observed signals

Request targets
User-Agents
Callback hosts: 0; 0; 0

Request targets and User-Agents available in Pro. Callback host details available in Enterprise.

Scanner coverage

Nuclei template detected 01 Jun 2026.

View Nuclei template

Virtual patch status

No Previdian virtual patch is currently available. Future rules ship for ModSecurity, Cloudflare, and AWS WAF.

Learn about virtual patches →

Scanner Artifacts

Scanner and exploit-framework references linked to this CVE.

Scanner	Reference	Detected
Nuclei	https://github.com/projectdiscovery/nuclei-templates/blob/main/http/cves/2014/CVE-2014-8739.yaml	01 Jun 2026

Risk and context

Severity, weaknesses, and research context

CVSS v3.1

9.8 Critical

Potential damage if exploited. Separate from whether attackers are using it.

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS

91.7%

Estimated chance of exploitation in the next 30 days. Previdian's warning comes from evidence, not this score.

Weaknesses

Unrestricted Upload of File with Dangerous Type CWE-434

All CVSS Scores

CVSS v3.1 9.8 Critical

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

CVSS v2.0 7.5 High

AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:P/A:P

Potential Proof of Concepts

These PoCs are unverified and could contain malware. Use at your own risk.

WordPress Sexy Contact Form (<= 0.9.7) - Arbitrary File Upload

nuclei · Created Unknown

Timeline

From disclosure to observed exploitation

12 Jun 2026
14:20 UTC

Public PoC available

Public proof-of-concept code published
01 Jun 2026
15:34 UTC

Nuclei template available

Scanner coverage available
08 Feb 2020
17:21 UTC

Added to Previdian KEV Feed

High-confidence, third-party attested exploitation
08 Feb 2020
17:21 UTC

CVE published

Vulnerability disclosed publicly
13 Nov 2014
00:00 UTC

CVE ID reserved

Identifier reserved by the CNA

Pro API

Automate this intelligence

Confidence, exploit status, sensor telemetry, PoCs, scanner integrations, mentions, and tags are available programmatically for VM, SOC, and CTI workflows.

Start 14-day Pro trial Read API docs

Evidence confidence and provenance
First-party sensor telemetry
PoC and scanner references
Affected versions and enrichment
Automation-ready JSON delivery

GET /api/v2/pro/kevs/CVE-2014-8739

Sample API response

{
  "cve_id": "CVE-2014-8739",
  "confidence": "High",
  "cvss_score": 9.8,
  "cvss_estimated": false,
  "epss_score": 0.91656,
  "exploit_status": {
    "exploited_in_the_wild": true,
    "active_exploitation_observed": false
  },
  "sensor_telemetry": { "attempts": 0, "sensors": 0 }
}

CVE-2014-8739

File Upload Plugin

Tags