Laravel, Laravel Swiss and Bee Interactive: Livewire Filemanager Vulnerability Exposes Web Applications to RCE Attacks

Critical RCE Vulnerability Discovered in Livewire Filemanager for Laravel (CVE-2025-14894)

A high-severity security flaw (CVE-2025-14894, VU#650657) has been identified in Livewire Filemanager, a popular file management component used in Laravel web applications. The vulnerability, disclosed on January 16, 2026, allows unauthenticated attackers to execute arbitrary code on vulnerable servers by exploiting improper file validation.

Root Cause & Exploitation

The flaw stems from inadequate file type and MIME validation in the LivewireFilemanagerComponent.php component. Attackers can upload malicious PHP files via the web interface, which are then stored in the publicly accessible /storage/ directory assuming the php artisan storage:link command was run during Laravel setup. Once uploaded, the files can be executed remotely, granting remote code execution (RCE) with the privileges of the web server user.

Impact & Risks

Successful exploitation enables:

• Full system compromise, including unrestricted file read/write access.
• Lateral movement to connected systems and infrastructure.
• No authentication required attackers only need to upload a PHP webshell and access it via the storage URL.

Affected Vendors & Response

At the time of disclosure, no vendors (Bee Interactive, Laravel, Laravel Swiss) have acknowledged the vulnerability. The CERT/CC recommends immediate mitigation, including:

• Removing web serving capability from the /storage/ directory if unnecessary.
• Implementing strict file upload restrictions (e.g., allowlists for safe file types, MIME validation).
• Storing uploaded files outside web-accessible directories and disabling the public storage link if unused.

The vulnerability highlights a critical gap in Livewire’s security model, which defers file validation to developers despite architectural risks. Organizations using the component are urged to apply protections independently.

Source: https://cybersecuritynews.com/livewire-filemanager-vulnerability/

Laravel cybersecurity rating report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/laravel

Dutch Laravel Foundation cybersecurity rating report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/dutch-laravel-foundation

CloudBees cybersecurity rating report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/cloudbees

"id": "LARDUTCLO1768827460",
"linkid": "laravel, dutch-laravel-foundation, cloudbees",
"type": "Vulnerability",
"date": "6/2025",
"severity": "100",
"impact": "5",
"explanation": "Attack threatening the organization's existence"

{'affected_entities': [{'industry': 'Web Development',
                        'name': 'Livewire Filemanager (Laravel component)',
                        'type': 'Software/Framework'}],
 'attack_vector': 'Improper file type and MIME validation in file uploads',
 'data_breach': {'file_types_exposed': 'PHP files (malicious webshells)'},
 'date_publicly_disclosed': '2026-01-16',
 'description': 'A high-severity security flaw (CVE-2025-14894, VU#650657) has '
                'been identified in Livewire Filemanager, a popular file '
                'management component used in Laravel web applications. The '
                'vulnerability allows unauthenticated attackers to execute '
                'arbitrary code on vulnerable servers by exploiting improper '
                'file validation.',
 'impact': {'operational_impact': 'Full system compromise, lateral movement to '
                                  'connected systems',
            'systems_affected': 'Laravel web applications using Livewire '
                                'Filemanager'},
 'lessons_learned': 'The vulnerability highlights a critical gap in Livewire’s '
                    'security model, which defers file validation to '
                    'developers despite architectural risks.',
 'post_incident_analysis': {'root_causes': 'Inadequate file type and MIME '
                                           'validation in '
                                           'LivewireFilemanagerComponent.php'},
 'recommendations': ['Apply strict file upload restrictions (allowlists, MIME '
                     'validation)',
                     'Store uploaded files outside web-accessible directories',
                     'Disable public storage link if unused',
                     'Monitor for unauthorized file uploads'],
 'references': [{'source': 'CERT/CC'}],
 'response': {'containment_measures': ['Removing web serving capability from '
                                       'the /storage/ directory if unnecessary',
                                       'Implementing strict file upload '
                                       'restrictions (e.g., allowlists for '
                                       'safe file types, MIME validation)',
                                       'Storing uploaded files outside '
                                       'web-accessible directories',
                                       'Disabling the public storage link if '
                                       'unused']},
 'title': 'Critical RCE Vulnerability Discovered in Livewire Filemanager for '
          'Laravel (CVE-2025-14894)',
 'type': 'Remote Code Execution (RCE)',
 'vulnerability_exploited': 'CVE-2025-14894'}