Wp Staging - Security Vulnerability (CVE-2026-115871)
CVE-2026-115871
The WP STAGING – Backups & Restore, Migration & Clone Plugin – Cloud Backups, Scheduled Backups plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Arbitrary Directory Deletion in all versions up to, and including, 4.19.0. This is due to insufficient path validation in the `cleanStagingDirectory` function, where the `deleteDir` parameter is only stripped of whitespace and double slashes by `sanitizePath()` without removing `..` traversal sequences or enforcing containment within the staging directory, leaving the sole pre-deletion guard as a simple string equality check against the WordPress home path. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with administrator-level access and above, to recursively delete arbitrary directories on the server — including `wp-content`, `wp-admin`, or directories outside the WordPress installation on shared hosting — resulting in denial of service or permanent data loss. An attacker must sequence a clone start, cancellation, and restart to drive the `delete_job` cache into the `directory` step before re-cancelling with a manipulated `deleteDir` value supplied via the `wp_ajax_wpstg_cancel_clone` endpoint.
CVE-2026-115871
LOW
CVSS 2.7
Published 2026-11-13
Updated 2026-11-13
AI Risk Low (32/100)
Active Exploit: No strong signal
Published Exploit: No public exploit references
Priority: P5 Monitor
Severity Band
LOW
CVSS Vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:N
Affected Components
1
Reference Links
8
AI Risk Engine
Low (32/100)
Exploitability
High
Active Exploitation
No strong signal
Published Exploit Status
No public exploit references
AI Context
Machine-generated threat intelligence
AI
Updated 8 hours ago
AI enriched 8 hours ago (2026-11-13 19:30 UTC)
Technical Summary
The WP STAGING – Backups & Restore, Migration & Clone Plugin – Cloud Backups, Scheduled Backups plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Arbitrary Directory Deletion in all versions up to, and including, 4.19.0. This is due to insufficient path validation in the `cleanStagingDirectory` function, where the `deleteDir` parameter is only stripped of whitespace and double slashes by `sanitizePath()` without removing `..` traversal sequences or enforcing containment within the staging directory, leaving the sole pre-deletion guard as a simple string equality…
Potential Impact
Severity is LOW (CVSS 2.7). Depending on deployment context, affected components may be exposed to unauthorized actions or data integrity risk.
Exploitability Assessment
Exploitability is assessed as High based on remote code execution potential.
Primary risk drivers: remote code execution potential
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
AI risk score 32/100 (Low, High) with priority P5 Monitor. Prioritize remediation where affected components process customer data, admin sessions, or Internet-exposed workflows.
