CVE-2026-4031
Database Backup for WordPress <= 2.5.2 - Missing Authorization to Unauthenticated Database Backup Interception
- Published
- Updated
- Reserved
- Assigned by
- Wordfence
Description
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.
Scores
| Scored by | CVSS | Score | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| WordfenceCNA (assigner) | 3.1 | High7.5 | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N |
| NVDNVD · Deferred | 3.1 | High7.5 | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N |
- EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)
- 0.49% · top 58% of all CVEs (6 Nov 2026)
- CISA SSVC
- Exploitation: none · Automatable: yes · Technical impact: partial
The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: High 7.5.
Weakness
Affected products
wpengine · Database Backup for WordPress
- affected ≤ 2.5.2
References (7)
- https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/36615cae-418f-48b0-ba69-b54515cbe1d7?source=cve (opens in a new tab)
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/wp-db-backup/trunk/wp-db-backup.php#L121 (opens in a new tab)
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/wp-db-backup/trunk/wp-db-backup.php#L85 (opens in a new tab)
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/wp-db-backup/trunk/wp-db-backup.php#L961 (opens in a new tab)
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/wp-db-backup/trunk/wp-db-backup.php#L1568 (opens in a new tab)
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/wp-db-backup/tags/2.5.2/wp-db-backup.php#L121 (opens in a new tab)
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/3510595/ (opens in a new tab)
Sources
The same CVE in the primary databases and aggregators, to check against.
- CVE.org record (opens in a new tab)
- CVE List JSON (GitHub) (opens in a new tab)
- NVD (opens in a new tab)
- FIRST EPSS (opens in a new tab)
- OSV.dev (opens in a new tab)
- GitHub Advisories (opens in a new tab)
- CIRCL Vulnerability-Lookup (opens in a new tab)
Badge for a README or a ticket
[](https://trackcve.app/cve/CVE-2026-4031)Record last updated .