Backup Backup - Path Traversal (CVE-2023-6971)

Q: Am I affected by this vulnerability?

You are affected if your site runs Backup Backup. Versions below 1.4.0 are vulnerable; that release and later are not. No account is needed to exploit this, so a public site is reachable by anyone.

Q: How do I fix it?

Update Backup Backup to version 1.4.0 or later. That is the complete fix. Until you can update, Request / payload inspection (WAF) in Hack Halt ProSecure contains this class of attack at the request layer.

Q: What can an attacker actually do?

This is a Path Traversal flaw. An attacker who exploits it can read files outside the intended directory, including wp-config.php.

CVE-2023-6971

Vulnerability CVE-2023-6971 PLUGIN backup-backup HIGH

The Backup Migration plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Remote File Inclusion in versions 1.0.8 to 1.3.9 via the 'content-dir' HTTP header. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to include remote files on the server, resulting in code execution. NOTE: Successful exploitation of this vulnerability requires that the target server's php.ini is configured with 'allow_url_include' set to 'on'. This feature is deprecated as of PHP 7.4 and is disabled by default, but can still be explicitly enabled in later versions of PHP.

CVE-2023-6971

HIGH CVSS 8.1 Published 2023-12-23 Updated 2026-06-17

AI Risk High (87/100) Active Exploit: No strong signal Published Exploit: No public exploit references Priority: P2 Urgent

Severity Band HIGH

CVSS Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected Components 2

Reference Links 3

AI Risk Engine High (87/100)

Exploitability Very High

Active Exploitation No strong signal

Published Exploit Status No public exploit references

Threat Timeline

2023-12-23 CVE published and first recorded in the threat feed.
2026-06-17 Record updated with latest vulnerability metadata.
2026-04-09 AI technical context refreshed for mitigation and impact guidance.
Now Monitoring for follow-up changes, linked references, and new related CVEs.

AI Context

Machine-generated threat intelligence

AI Updated 166 days ago

AI enriched 166 days ago (2026-04-09 06:36 UTC)

Technical Summary

Potential Impact

Severity is HIGH (CVSS 8.1). Depending on deployment context, affected components may be exposed to unauthorized actions or data integrity risk.

Exploitability Assessment

Exploitability is assessed as Very High based on remote code execution potential, low-bar exploit prerequisites.

Primary risk drivers: remote code execution potential, low-bar exploit prerequisites

Mitigation Recommendations

Validate affected product versions, prioritize patching, and monitor references for vendor remediation guidance. If immediate patching is not possible, apply compensating controls and limit exposure of vulnerable surfaces.

Detection & Monitoring

Track authentication anomalies, unexpected file writes, and suspicious plugin API activity around affected components.

Business Impact Lens

Prioritize remediation where affected components process customer data, admin sessions, or Internet-exposed workflows.

Affected Products

Backup Backup PLUGIN · backup-backup Affected range not specified Fixed version not specified

Backup Migration PLUGIN · backup-migration Affected: >= 1.0.8, < 1.4.0 Fixed in: 1.4.0

References

What to do about this

Patch promptly The consequence is significant even where an attacker needs a foothold first.

Fix it

Update Backup Backup to 1.4.0 or later.

That is the complete fix. Everything below is what protects you in the meantime.

Cannot update today? Request / payload inspection (WAF) in Hack Halt ProSecure blocks this class of attack before WordPress processes the request.

Inspect request parameters and bodies for injection, traversal and file-inclusion payloads, and refuse the request rather than logging it.

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Not sure if you are affected?

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