Database Backup for WordPress <= 2.5.2 — Missing Authorization to Unauthenticated Database Backup Interception
CVE-2026-4031Published · Updated Action summary
Affected: ≤2.5.2Update to 2.5.3 or newer
All remediation steps- Severity
- High7.5
- CVSS
- 7.5CVSS 3.1 · CNA (Wordfence)
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:NWhat does this vector mean?
AV:NAttack vector- Network
AC:LAttack complexity- Low
PR:NPrivileges required- None
UI:NUser interaction- None
S:UScope- Unchanged
C:HConfidentiality- High
I:NIntegrity- None
A:NAvailability- None
- Weakness
- CWE-862 Missing Authorization
- Required access
- No account needed
- Exploit prediction (EPSS)
- No score
- CISA KEV
- Not listed
On this page8
Am I affected?
Database Backup for WordPress wp-db-backup
- Affected≤ 2.5.2
- Patched in2.5.3
Update to 2.5.3 or newer.
You are affected if you run ≤ 2.5.2. Version 2.5.3 and later are not affected by this issue.
- Check your version: in wp-admin go to Plugins → Installed Plugins and read the version under Database Backup for WordPress.
- No admin access? Run a passive check of your site. It reads public files only.
- No account is needed to exploit this. Treat any exposed site on an affected version as at risk.
What to do
- Update to version 2.5.3, or a newer patched version
- Rotate administrator passwords and application secrets if the site ran a vulnerable version while publicly reachable.
- Watch Database Backup for WordPress to get an email when the next vulnerability is published.
Advisory
Source description from Wordfence Intelligence, credited to Drew Webber (mcdruid).
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.
Exploits & references
Proof-of-concept & detection
No public proof-of-concept or detection template is known for this vulnerability.
Advisories & patches
- Advisorywordfence.com
Related CVEs
More in Database Backup for WordPress
All 7| Severity | Vulnerability | CVE | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| High7.5 | Missing Authorization to Unauthenticated Database Export ≤2.5.2Update to 2.5.3 | CVE-2026-4029 | |
| High8.1 | Missing Authorization to Unauthenticated Arbitrary File Read and Deletion ≤2.5.2Update to 2.5.3 | CVE-2026-4030 | |
| High8.8 | Cross-Site Request Forgery to Settings Update <2.5.2Update to 2.5.2 | CVE-2022-1577 | |
| High7.2 | Admin+ SQL Injection <2.5.1Update to 2.5.1 | CVE-2022-0255 | |
| Medium5.4 | Authenticated Stored Cross-Site Scripting via backup_receipient Parameter <2.4Update to 2.4 | CVE-2021-24322 |
- High7.5Missing Authorization to Unauthenticated Database Export
≤2.5.2Update to 2.5.3
- High8.1Missing Authorization to Unauthenticated Arbitrary File Read and Deletion
≤2.5.2Update to 2.5.3
- High8.8Cross-Site Request Forgery to Settings Update
<2.5.2Update to 2.5.2
- High7.2Admin+ SQL Injection
<2.5.1Update to 2.5.1
- Medium5.4Authenticated Stored Cross-Site Scripting via backup_receipient Parameter
<2.4Update to 2.4
Same weakness (Missing Authorization)
All Missing Authorization| Severity | Vulnerability | CVE | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| High7.2 | Unauthenticated Stored Cross-Site Scripting via Comment User-Agent Header | CVE-2026-120688 | |
| Critical9.8 | Unauthenticated Arbitrary File Upload via File Upload via Public Form Submission | CVE-2026-125055 | |
| Critical9.8 | Unauthenticated PHP Object Injection to Remote Code Execution via 'form' Parameter | CVE-2026-119077 | |
| Medium5.3 | Unauthenticated Sensitive Information Exposure in 'search' Parameter | CVE-2026-121518 |
- High7.2Unauthenticated Stored Cross-Site Scripting via Comment User-Agent Header
EZ SQL Reports Shortcode Widget and DB Backup
≤5.25.25Update to 5.26.45
- Critical9.8Unauthenticated Arbitrary File Upload via File Upload via Public Form Submission
Chatterbug Forms – Fast, Flexible WordPress Form Builder
≤1.0.2Update to 1.1
- Critical9.8Unauthenticated PHP Object Injection to Remote Code Execution via 'form' Parameter
ELEX WordPress HelpDesk & Customer Ticketing System
≤3.3.9Update to 3.4.0
- Medium5.3Unauthenticated Sensitive Information Exposure in 'search' Parameter
Customer Reviews for WooCommerce
≤5.127.0Update to 5.128.0
Timeline
CVE published
Severity high, CVSS 7.5
Record last updated
Sources & licenses
Wordfence record- Vulnerability data
- Wordfence Intelligence. [object Object] Licensed under the CC BY-SA 4.0.
- CVE® identifiers
- [object Object]. Used under the CVE Program. CVE® is a registered trademark of The MITRE Corporation.
- CVSS / CWE
- National Vulnerability Database (NVD), shown unmodified. This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.
- VulnCrest content
- Summary, remediation guidance and page layout © VulnCrest. Not sourced from NVD.