CVE-2022-2926 is a medium-severity vulnerability classified under CWE-22, which refers to improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory, commonly known as a path traversal vulnerability. This vulnerability affects the Download Manager WordPress plugin versions prior to 3.2.55. The core issue arises because the plugin does not properly validate one of its settings, allowing users with high privileges—specifically administrators—to list and read arbitrary files and directories outside the intended blog directory. This means that an attacker with administrative access to a WordPress site using a vulnerable version of the Download Manager plugin could exploit this flaw to access sensitive files on the server that should normally be inaccessible. The vulnerability does not require user interaction beyond having high privilege access, and it does not impact the integrity or availability of the system but does have a high impact on confidentiality. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 4.9, reflecting a medium severity level, with the vector indicating network attack vector (AV:N), low attack complexity (AC:L), high privileges required (PR:H), no user interaction (UI:N), unchanged scope (S:U), high confidentiality impact (C:H), no integrity impact (I:N), and no availability impact (A:N). There are no known exploits in the wild, and no official patch links were provided in the data, but the issue is resolved in version 3.2.55 and later. The vulnerability is significant because it allows privileged users to bypass directory restrictions, potentially exposing sensitive configuration files, credentials, or other critical data stored on the server outside the WordPress installation directory.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a confidentiality risk primarily to websites running WordPress with the vulnerable Download Manager plugin. Since WordPress is widely used across Europe for various business, governmental, and personal websites, any organization using this plugin with outdated versions could have sensitive server files exposed to administrators who might exploit this flaw maliciously or accidentally. The risk is heightened in environments where multiple administrators or third-party contractors have admin access, increasing the chance of insider threats or compromised admin accounts leading to data leakage. Although the vulnerability does not directly affect system integrity or availability, the exposure of sensitive files could lead to further attacks, such as credential theft or configuration manipulation, which could escalate into more severe compromises. Organizations handling sensitive personal data under GDPR must be particularly cautious, as unauthorized data exposure could lead to regulatory penalties and reputational damage. The lack of known exploits in the wild reduces immediate risk, but the presence of a publicly known CVE means attackers could develop exploits, especially targeting less maintained or smaller websites.

European organizations should immediately verify if their WordPress installations use the Download Manager plugin and check the plugin version. If the version is older than 3.2.55, they should upgrade to the latest version where the vulnerability is fixed. If upgrading is not immediately possible, restrict administrative access strictly to trusted personnel and enforce strong authentication mechanisms such as multi-factor authentication (MFA) to reduce the risk of compromised admin accounts. Conduct regular audits of admin activity and file access logs to detect any unusual behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. Additionally, implement web application firewalls (WAFs) with rules designed to detect and block path traversal attempts, even though this vulnerability requires admin privileges, as a defense-in-depth measure. Organizations should also review their server file permissions to ensure that even if path traversal is attempted, sensitive files are not readable by the web server user. Finally, maintain an inventory of all plugins and their versions and subscribe to vulnerability feeds to stay informed about new patches and threats.