CVE-2026-28189

Participants Database <= 2.7.8.4 - Unauthenticated Arbitrary File Deletion

2026-08-13 00:00
VanTastic

Strategic Overview

Status
Patched in 2.7.8.5
Affected Plugin
Participants Database
Affected Version
<= 2.7.8.4
CVSS
9.1Critical
Weakness type
CWE-22 · Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
CVE
CVE-2026-28189
View all Participants Database vulnerabilities

At a glance

CVE-2026-28189 is a critical-severity Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') vulnerability in the Participants Database WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 2.7.8.4. It carries a CVSS score of 9.1 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity; high integrity, availability impact). Exploitation requires no authentication. The issue is fixed in version 2.7.8.5; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed August 2026, reported by VanTastic.

Vulnerability Overview

The Participants Database plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to arbitrary file deletion due to insufficient file path validation in all versions up to, and including, 2.7.8.4. 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 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 privileges on the target site, 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 Participants Database <= 2.7.8.4 takes no account at all. 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 Participants Database the fix is 2.7.8.5: builds <= 2.7.8.4 are affected, anything from 2.7.8.5 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 2.7.8.5, 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: Participants Database 2.7.8.5 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

  • Firewall
  • Login Security
  • Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-28189https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/80067f73-53df-4014-b171-8435061a5cc7https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-28189

Related records

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