Meta Box <= 5.11.1 - Authenticated (Contributor+) Arbitrary File Deletion
Strategic Overview
- Status
- Patched in 5.11.2
- Affected Plugin
- Meta Box – A Framework for Dynamic Websites
- Affected Version
<= 5.11.1- CVSS
- 8.1High
- Weakness type
- CWE-22 · Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
- CVE
CVE-2026-39468
At a glance
CVE-2026-39468 is a high-severity Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') vulnerability in the Meta Box WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 5.11.1. It carries a CVSS score of 8.1 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity; high integrity, availability impact). Exploitation requires an authenticated account at Contributor level or above. The issue is fixed in version 5.11.2; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed April 2026, reported by Nguyen Ba Khanh.
Vulnerability Overview
The Meta Box plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to arbitrary file deletion due to insufficient file path validation in all versions up to, and including, 5.11.1. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Contributor-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).
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 integrity, availability.
CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
Reaching this weakness in Meta Box <= 5.11.1 takes an account at Contributor 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 Meta Box the fix is 5.11.2: builds <= 5.11.1 are affected, anything from 5.11.2 onward is not.
Remediation
Update to version 5.11.2, or a newer patched version
How does WordSec protect against this?
An attacker needs Contributor 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: Meta Box 5.11.2 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.
- Firewall
- Alerts
External References
Related records
Same weakness class
Other vulnerabilities in Meta Box – A Framework for Dynamic Websites
- 8.1CVE-2019-14793: Meta Box - WordPress Custom Fields… File Deletion
CVE-2019-14793 - 7.5CVE-2019-14794: Meta Box <= 4.16.1 Mishandling of File Upload
CVE-2019-14794 - 6.4CVE-2023-6526: Meta Box – WordPress Custom Fields Framework Stored XSS
CVE-2023-6526 - 4.3CVE-2026-15248: Meta Box < 5.13.1 Insecure Direct Object Reference
CVE-2026-15248 - 4.3CVE-2024-43235: Meta Box Information Exposure
CVE-2024-43235 - 4.3CVE-2024-1204: Meta Box Information Exposure
CVE-2024-1204
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