Vulnerability · Published May 14, 2026 · Assigned by Wordfence
CVE-2026-4031Database Backup for WordPress <= 2.5.2 - Missing Authorization to Unauthenticated Database Backup Interception
High 7.5
In plain English
A high-severity missing authorization in Database Backup for WordPress from wpengine. There are no confirmed reports of exploitation so far. The chance it is exploited in the next 30 days is estimated at 0.5% (higher than 42% of all known vulnerabilities).
Official 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.
Affected products (as reported)
| Vendor | Product | Versions |
|---|---|---|
| wpengine | Database Backup for WordPress | 0 – through 2.5.2 |
Weakness: CWE-862 · Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
References
- https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/36615cae-418f-48b0-ba69-b54515cbe1d7?source=cve
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/wp-db-backup/trunk/wp-db-backup.php#L121
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/wp-db-backup/trunk/wp-db-backup.php#L85
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/wp-db-backup/trunk/wp-db-backup.php#L961
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/wp-db-backup/trunk/wp-db-backup.php#L1568
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/wp-db-backup/tags/2.5.2/wp-db-backup.php#L121
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/3510595/