Download Manager <= 3.2.50 - Authenticated (Contributor+) Arbitrary File Deletion

published 2022-09-06 4 y ago modified 2026-06-17 4 mo ago also EUVD-2022-34692

cvss: 8.1; version 3.1, CNA
cisa kev: Not listed; not in CISA's catalog
epss: 3.9%; EPSS 3.9% chance of exploitation in 30 days, percentile 90%
public exploits: 0; none known

The Download Manager plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to arbitrary file deletion in versions up to, and including 3.2.50. This is due to insufficient file type and path validation on the deleteFiles() function found in the ~/Admin/Menu/Packages.php file that triggers upon download post deletion. This makes it possible for contributor level users and above to supply an arbitrary file path via the 'file[files]' parameter when creating a download post and once the user deletes the post the supplied arbitrary file will be deleted. This can be used by attackers to delete the /wp-config.php file which will reset the installation and make it possible for an attacker to achieve remote code execution on the server.

Patch / fix

links 1

plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset?sfp_email=&sfph_mail=&reponame=&old=2762092%40do… advisory

CISA SSVC

Exploitation: none
Automatable: no
Technical impact: partial
Assessed: 21 mo ago (2025-01-31)

Exploit prediction

3.91% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 90% of all scored CVEs (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-08).

Exploits and checks

wordfence.com https://www.wordfence.com/blog/2022/08/high-severity-vulnerability-patched-in-download-manager-plugin/ referenced PoC, tagged "exploit" by a source, unverified

CVSS scores

assigned by	version	score	vector
CNA	3.1	8.1	CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H
NVD	3.1	8.8	CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected products

download-manager Download Manager

Classification

Weakness

CWE-73 External Control of File Name or Path
CWE-610 Externally Controlled Reference to a Resource in Another Sphere

Technology feeds

WordPress rss critical rss

References

plugins.trac.wordpress.org /changeset?sfp_email=&sfph_mail=&reponame=&old=2762092%40download-manager&new=2762092%40download-manager&sfp_e
patch, third-party-advisory
wordfence.com /blog/2022/08/high-severity-vulnerability-patched-in-download-manager-plugin/
exploit, third-party-advisory
packetstormsecurity.com /files/167920/wpdownloadmanager3250-filedelete.txt
third-party-advisory, vdb-entry

Sources

CVE List CVE-2022-2431
NVD CVE-2022-2431

Fencer Vulns keeps one entry per vulnerability: the CVE id wins, then GHSA, and records that alias each other are merged, except that two CVEs always keep separate entries. The same data is available as JSON.

Summary