CVE intelligence and bounded remediation

CVE-2026-4031 — The Database Backup for WordPress plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to authorization bypass in all versions up to, and including, 2.5.2

High CVSS 7.5

The Database Backup for WordPress plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to authorization bypass in all versions up to, and including, 2.5.2. This is due to the plugin not restricting access to the wp_db_temp_dir parameter, which controls where database backups are written. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to send a request to wp-cron.php with a poisoned wp_db_temp_dir value pointing to a publicly accessible directory (e.g., wp-content/uploads/), and if a scheduled backup is due, intercept the backup file before it is cleaned up. The backup file has a predictable name based on the database name, table prefix, date, and Swatch Internet Time, making interception reliable. Successful exploitation leads to Sensitive Information Exposure including database credentials, user password hashes, and personally identifiable information. This vulnerability requires that the site administrator has configured scheduled backups.

Severity
High
CVSS
7.5 (3.1)
Published
2026-05-14
CISA KEV
Not currently listed
Ecosystem
php/wordpress
Weaknesses
CWE-862

Affected products

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Matched remediation archetype

Authorization bypass, IDOR, and cross-tenant access

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Check exposure

  • Map object and action authorization checks across API, UI, batch, import/export, and background-job paths.
  • Identify tenant, ownership, role, and policy boundaries for affected resources and administrative operations.
  • Use synthetic fixtures to compare intended access matrices without accessing another user's real data.

Remediate safely

  • Enforce server-side authorization at each resource access and state transition using the authenticated principal and trusted tenant context.
  • Scope data queries by tenant and ownership; treat client-supplied identifiers, roles, and policy claims as untrusted.
  • Add deny-by-default policy tests for horizontal and vertical access across every affected transport.

Authoritative sources

Complete CVE record and remediation plan

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