Strategic Overview
- Status
- Patched in 3.4.2
- Affected Plugin
- BackWPup – WordPress Backup & Restore Plugin
- Affected Version
< 3.4.2- CVSS
- 7.5High
- Weakness type
- CWE-552 · Files or Directories Accessible to External Parties
- CVE
CVE-2017-2551
At a glance
CVE-2017-2551 is a high-severity Files or Directories Accessible to External Parties vulnerability in the BackWPup WordPress plugin, affecting versions < 3.4.2. It carries a CVSS score of 7.5 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity; high confidentiality impact). Exploitation requires no authentication. The issue is fixed in version 3.4.2; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed September 2017, reported by Larry W. Cashdollar.
Vulnerability Overview
Vulnerability in Wordpress plugin BackWPup before v3.4.2 allows possible brute forcing of backup file for download.
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 privileges on the target site, and no interaction from a victim user. A successful exploit has high impact on confidentiality.
CWE-552: Files or Directories Accessible to External Parties
The product makes files or directories accessible to unauthorized actors, even though they should not be.
Remediation
Update to version 3.4.2, or a newer patched version
How does WordSec protect against this?
Requests carrying this pattern arrive without a session, so nothing upstream of the firewall gets a chance to reject them: WordSec's web application firewall inspects request payloads before WordPress loads them. None of that substitutes for the fix: BackWPup 3.4.2 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.
- Firewall
- Login Security
- Alerts
External References
Related records
Other vulnerabilities in BackWPup – WordPress Backup & Restore Plugin
- 9.8CVE-2011-4342: BackWPup <= 1.7.1 Remote File Inclusion
CVE-2011-4342 - 8.7CVE-2023-5504: BackWPup <= 4.0.1 Directory Traversal
CVE-2023-5504 - 7.5CVE-2023-7164: BackWPup <= 4.0.3 Sensitive Information Exposure
CVE-2023-7164 - 7.5CVE-2011-5208: BackWPup – WordPress Backup Plugin Directory Traversal
CVE-2011-5208 - 7.2CVE-2026-65443: BackWPup <= 5.7.4 Stored Cross-Site Scripting
CVE-2026-65443 - 7.2CVE-2026-6227: BackWPup <= 5.6.6 Local File Inclusion
CVE-2026-6227 - 7.2CVE-2025-15041: BackWPup 5.0.0 - 5.6.2 Privilege Escalation
CVE-2025-15041 - 6.8CVE-2023-5505: BackWPup <= 4.0.1 Directory Traversal
CVE-2023-5505
Vulnerability data © Defiant, Inc., provided under the Wordfence Intelligence T&C