Advanced Members for ACF <= 1.2.5 - Authenticated (Subscriber+) Arbitrary File Deletion via Path Traversal
Strategic Overview
- Status
- Patched in 1.2.6
- Affected Plugin
- Advanced Members for ACF
- Affected Version
<= 1.2.5- CVSS
- 8.8High
- Weakness type
- CWE-22 · Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
- CVE
CVE-2026-3243
At a glance
CVE-2026-3243 is a high-severity Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') vulnerability in the Advanced Members for ACF WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 1.2.5. It carries a CVSS score of 8.8 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity; high confidentiality, integrity, availability impact). Exploitation requires an authenticated account at Subscriber level or above. The issue is fixed in version 1.2.6; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed April 2026, reported by Muhammad Yudha - DJ.
Vulnerability Overview
The Advanced Members for ACF plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to arbitrary file deletion due to insufficient file path validation in the create_crop function in all versions up to, and including, 1.2.5. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Subscriber-level access and above, to delete arbitrary files on the server, which can easily lead to remote code execution when the right file is deleted (such as wp-config.php). The vulnerability was partially patched in version 1.2.5.
Technical Analysis
The vector marks this flaw as remotely reachable over the network, with low attack complexity — no special timing or configuration is needed, and no interaction from a victim user. A successful exploit has high impact on confidentiality, integrity, availability — full site compromise territory.
CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
Reaching this weakness in Advanced Members for ACF <= 1.2.5 takes an account at Subscriber level or above. Path traversal happens when user-controlled text is used to build a filesystem path without being constrained to an intended directory, so sequences like ../ walk the resolved path somewhere else.
Depending on the operation, it means reading files outside the intended folder — wp-config.php being the usual target — or writing to and deleting paths the web server can touch. For Advanced Members for ACF the fix is 1.2.6: builds <= 1.2.5 are affected, anything from 1.2.6 onward is not.
Remediation
Update to version 1.2.6, or a newer patched version
How does WordSec protect against this?
An attacker needs Subscriber access first, so the firewall sees the attempt as traffic from a logged-in account: WordSec's web application firewall inspects request payloads before WordPress loads them. None of that substitutes for the fix: Advanced Members for ACF 1.2.6 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.
- Firewall
- Alerts
External References
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