Administrator file deletion via stored path traversal
Published Jul 28, 2026 · Updated Jul 28, 2026
Path traversal in WordPlus Better Messages 2.15.19 and earlier allows remote authenticated users to delete arbitrary server files. The delete_sticker function accepts a stored sticker URL with a valid uploads-base prefix, converts its unnormalized path to a local filename, and deletes it; normalize_sticker applies esc_url_raw without removing ../ segments. Administrator access is required, and deletion of a security-critical file such as wp-config.php exposes the site to remote code execution.
Summary
What happened
Path traversal in WordPlus Better Messages 2.15.19 and earlier allows remote authenticated users to delete arbitrary server files. The delete_sticker function accepts a stored sticker URL with a valid uploads-base prefix, converts its unnormalized path to a local filename, and deletes it; normalize_sticker applies esc_url_raw without removing ../ segments. Administrator access is required, and deletion of a security-critical file such as wp-config.php exposes the site to remote code execution.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-16585
- Published
- Jul 28, 2026
- Updated
- Jul 28, 2026
- Vendor
- WordPlus
- Product
- Better Messages
- Classifications
- CWE-22, T1190
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- admin
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jul 28, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Jul 28, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=0 <=2.15.19
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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