Reported vulnerability

Database Backup for WordPress <= 2.5.2 - Missing Authorization to Unauthenticated Database Backup Interception

Q: Which versions of Database Backup for WordPress are affected?

Wordfence lists these affected versions: Start version unspecified, through 2.5.2. Use the version checker above to compare your installed release with this report.

Q: Is a fix available for Database Backup for WordPress?

Wordfence reports a fix for this issue in Database Backup for WordPress. It lists these fixed versions: 2.5.3. Back up your website and test the recommended update before applying it to your live site.

Q: Where can I find my installed plugin version?

In WordPress, open Plugins > Installed Plugins and find the version shown beneath the plugin name.

Published 13 May 2026

Updated 14 May 2026

CVE-2026-4031

Compare your installed software with the affected versions below. Follow the source’s remediation guidance and test an available update after taking a backup. A database entry describes a reported issue; it does not establish whether a particular website has been compromised.

Does this affect my version?

Check your installed version against this advisory. This compares the report’s version ranges and does not scan your website.

Wordfence advisory

high · CVSS 7.5

The Database Backup for WordPress plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to authorization bypass in all versions up to, and including, 2.5.2. This is due to the plugin not restricting access to the wp_db_temp_dir parameter, which controls where database backups are written. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to send a request to wp-cron.php with a poisoned wp_db_temp_dir value pointing to a publicly accessible directory (e.g., wp-content/uploads/), and if a scheduled backup is due, intercept the backup file before it is cleaned up. The backup file has a predictable name based on the database name, table prefix, date, and Swatch Internet Time, making interception reliable. Successful exploitation leads to Sensitive Information Exposure including database credentials, user password hashes, and personally identifiable information. This vulnerability requires that the site administrator has configured scheduled backups.

Severity vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

Database Backup for WordPress

Software: plugin · wp-db-backup
Affected versions: Start version unspecified, through 2.5.2
Fix availability: Fix available
Fixed versions: 2.5.3

Recommended action

Update to version 2.5.3, or a newer patched version

Further references (1)

wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/36615cae-418f-48b0-ba69-b54515cbe1d7?source=api-prod

Data sources and licences

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CVE Usage: MITRE hereby grants you a perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, no-charge, royalty-free, irrevocable copyright license to reproduce, prepare derivative works of, publicly display, publicly perform, sublicense, and distribute Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE®). Any copy you make for such purposes is authorized provided that you reproduce MITRE's copyright designation and this license in any such copy.

Read licence terms

Source: Wordfence

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Questions about this vulnerability

Which versions of Database Backup for WordPress are affected?

Wordfence lists these affected versions: Start version unspecified, through 2.5.2. Use the version checker above to compare your installed release with this report.

Is a fix available for Database Backup for WordPress?

Wordfence reports a fix for this issue in Database Backup for WordPress. It lists these fixed versions: 2.5.3. Back up your website and test the recommended update before applying it to your live site.

Where can I find my installed plugin version?

In WordPress, open Plugins > Installed Plugins and find the version shown beneath the plugin name.

Does an affected version mean my website has been hacked?

An affected version means the installed release matches a vulnerability described in this report. It does not show whether anyone has exploited it on your website. The checker compares version numbers with stored reports; it does not inspect your website.

These reports cover at least one of the same plugins, themes or WordPress core. Check each report’s affected versions separately.

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