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CRITICAL severity

CVE-2026-120518 — WordPress

CRITICAL

CVE-2026-120518 is a critical-severity (CVSS 9.1) Path Traversal vulnerability. The records list no fixed version yet; check the vendor advisory below and apply the mitigations in the meantime.

The BuddyPress XProfile Image Field plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to arbitrary file deletion in all versions up to, and including, 3.1.0. This is due to bpxp_image_field_update_on_user_activation()…

Published
Updated
Affected
—
Patched
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Exploits
None indexed
Exploitation data as of Nov 3, 2026 · OSV.dev, NVD, FIRST.org (EPSS)

Description

The BuddyPress XProfile Image Field plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to arbitrary file deletion in all versions up to, and including, 3.1.0. This is due to bpxp_image_field_update_on_user_activation() calling unlink() on a path built from visitor-supplied signup metadata with no realpath() resolution, no containment check against the profile-image directory and no extension allow-list. Submitting a zero-byte file with the 'field_N_hidden' parameter during registration makes the plugin store the raw value, which is then resolved against the document root when the pending signup is activated. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to delete arbitrary files on the server, which can easily lead to remote code execution when the right file (such as wp-config.php) is deleted. Requires open registration and an image-type profile field on the signup form.

Detection & mitigation playbook

Vulnerability

  1. Detect

    Identify every host running the affected component and compare the installed build against the fixed version below — for source-built or distro-packaged software the version string, not a lockfile, is the source of truth (`dpkg -l`, `rpm -q`, or the binary's own `--version`).

  2. Remediation status

    The records we use list no fixed release for CVE-2026-120518. Check the upstream advisory for a patched version, and apply the exposure-reduction steps below in the meantime.

  3. Mitigate without a patch

    Resolve every user-supplied path to its canonical form and reject anything that escapes the intended directory, and run the component under an account that has no read or write access outside the directory it legitimately serves.

Frequently Asked Questions

The BuddyPress XProfile Image Field plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to arbitrary file deletion in all versions up to, and including, 3.1.0. This is due to bpxp_image_field_update_on_user_activation() calling unlink() on a path built from visitor-supplied signup metadata with no realpath() resolution, no containment check against the profile-image directory and no extension allow-list. Submitting a zero-byte file with the 'field_N_hidden' parameter during registration makes the plugin store the raw value, which is then resolved against the document root when the pending signup is activated.
O3 Security · Impact-Aware SCA

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CVE-2026-120518: WordPress Path Traversal (Critical 9.1)