CVE-2026-4853
CWE-22Published: April 17, 2026· Updated: Apr 22, 2026
Official Description
The JetBackup – Backup, Restore & Migrate plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Path Traversal leading to Arbitrary Directory Deletion in versions up to and including 3.1.19.8. This is due to insufficient input validation on the fileName parameter in the file upload handler. The plugin sanitizes the fileName parameter using sanitize_text_field(), which removes HTML tags but does not prevent path traversal sequences like '../'. The unsanitized filename is then directly concatenated in Upload::getFileLocation() without using basename() or validating the resolved path stays within the intended directory. When an invalid file is uploaded, the cleanup logic calls dirname() on the traversed path and passes it to Util::rm(), which recursively deletes the entire resolved directory. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers with administrator-level access to traverse outside the intended upload directory and trigger deletion of critical WordPress directories such as wp-content/plugins, effectively disabling all installed plugins and causing severe site disruption.
Technical Analysis
CVE-2026-4853 can be exploited remotely over the network without requiring physical or adjacent access, significantly expanding the attack surface for threat actors.
Exploitation requires high privileges, which limits the exposure to scenarios where an attacker has already gained initial access.
A successful exploit results in complete confidentiality breach (data exposure), with a CVSS base score of 4.9.
CVSS v3.1 Vector Breakdown
Affected Vendors & Products
Exploit & PoC Resources
All References (8)
Quick Facts
Related CVEs (CWE-22)
Recommended Actions
- →Apply vendor patches immediately
- →Monitor CVE-2026-4853 in threat intel feeds
- →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts