CVE-2026-13492: CWE-22 Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') in stiofansisland UsersWP – Front-end login form, User Registration, User Profile & Members Directory plugin for WP
The UsersWP plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Arbitrary File Deletion in versions up to, and including, 1.2.65. This is due to insufficient validation of file-field values in the UsersWP_Validation::validate_fields() function (which falls through to sanitize_text_field() for fields of type 'file', leaving directory-traversal sequences intact) combined with the UsersWP_Forms::upload_file_remove() AJAX handler building the deletion target from the uploads basedir concatenated with the attacker-controlled metadata value without any realpath canonicalization or uploads-directory boundary check before calling unlink(). This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Subscriber-level access and above, to delete arbitrary files on the affected site's server, including wp-config.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
CVE-2026-13492 is a path traversal vulnerability in the UsersWP plugin for WordPress (up to version 1.2.65). The issue arises from inadequate validation in the UsersWP_Validation::validate_fields() function, which fails to sanitize directory traversal sequences in file-type fields. The AJAX handler UsersWP_Forms::upload_file_remove() constructs the deletion path by concatenating the uploads base directory with attacker-controlled metadata without realpath canonicalization or boundary checks. This allows authenticated attackers with Subscriber-level privileges or higher to delete arbitrary files on the server, including critical configuration files like wp-config.php.
Potential Impact
An attacker with low-privilege authenticated access can delete arbitrary files on the server hosting the WordPress site. This can lead to loss of critical files, including configuration files, potentially causing site downtime, data loss, and compromise of site confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. Until a fix is available, restrict user roles and permissions to trusted users only and monitor for suspicious activity related to file deletions. Avoid granting Subscriber-level or higher access to untrusted users.
CVE-2026-13492: CWE-22 Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') in stiofansisland UsersWP – Front-end login form, User Registration, User Profile & Members Directory plugin for WP
Description
The UsersWP plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Arbitrary File Deletion in versions up to, and including, 1.2.65. This is due to insufficient validation of file-field values in the UsersWP_Validation::validate_fields() function (which falls through to sanitize_text_field() for fields of type 'file', leaving directory-traversal sequences intact) combined with the UsersWP_Forms::upload_file_remove() AJAX handler building the deletion target from the uploads basedir concatenated with the attacker-controlled metadata value without any realpath canonicalization or uploads-directory boundary check before calling unlink(). This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Subscriber-level access and above, to delete arbitrary files on the affected site's server, including wp-config.
CVSS v3.1
Score 8.8high
Affected software
Weaknesses
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
CVE-2026-13492 is a path traversal vulnerability in the UsersWP plugin for WordPress (up to version 1.2.65). The issue arises from inadequate validation in the UsersWP_Validation::validate_fields() function, which fails to sanitize directory traversal sequences in file-type fields. The AJAX handler UsersWP_Forms::upload_file_remove() constructs the deletion path by concatenating the uploads base directory with attacker-controlled metadata without realpath canonicalization or boundary checks. This allows authenticated attackers with Subscriber-level privileges or higher to delete arbitrary files on the server, including critical configuration files like wp-config.php.
Potential Impact
An attacker with low-privilege authenticated access can delete arbitrary files on the server hosting the WordPress site. This can lead to loss of critical files, including configuration files, potentially causing site downtime, data loss, and compromise of site confidentiality, integrity, and availability.
Mitigation Recommendations
Patch status is not yet confirmed — check the vendor advisory for current remediation guidance. Until a fix is available, restrict user roles and permissions to trusted users only and monitor for suspicious activity related to file deletions. Avoid granting Subscriber-level or higher access to untrusted users.
Technical Details
- Data Version
- 5.2
- Assigner Short Name
- Wordfence
- Date Reserved
- 2026-06-27T16:40:24.809Z
- Cvss Version
- 3.1
- State
- PUBLISHED
- Remediation Level
- null
Threat ID: 6a4ff3f768715ace43ecf625
Added to database: 07/09/2026, 19:18:15 UTC
Last enriched: 07/09/2026, 19:32:55 UTC
Last updated: 07/10/2026, 00:25:20 UTC
Views: 5
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