Post Export Import with Media <= 1.17.1 - Authenticated (Administrator+) Path Traversal to Arbitrary File Read via 'file_path' Parameter in media_metadata.json
Strategic Overview
- Status
- Patched in 1.17.2
- Affected Plugin
- Post Export Import with Media
- Affected Version
<= 1.17.1- CVSS
- 4.9Medium
- Weakness type
- CWE-22 · Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
- CVE
CVE-2026-104763
At a glance
CVE-2026-104763 is a medium-severity Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') vulnerability in the Post Export Import with Media WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 1.17.1. It carries a CVSS score of 4.9 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity; high confidentiality impact). Exploitation requires an authenticated account at Administrator level or above. The issue is fixed in version 1.17.2; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed October 2026, reported by Wordfence PRISM.
Vulnerability Overview
The Post Export Import with Media plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Directory Traversal in all versions up to, and including, 1.17.1 via the 'file_path' parameter parameter. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with administrator-level access and above, to read the contents of arbitrary files on the server, which can contain sensitive information. This requires the attacker to upload a crafted ZIP archive containing a media_metadata.json file with path traversal sequences in the file_path field while specifying an allowed file extension for the destination filename to bypass the extension guard introduced in version 1.13.2.
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.
CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
Post Export Import with Media <= 1.17.1 carries this weakness at file_path, and reaching it takes an account at Administrator 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 Post Export Import with Media the fix is 1.17.2: builds <= 1.17.1 are affected, anything from 1.17.2 onward is not.
Remediation
Update to version 1.17.2, or a newer patched version
How does WordSec protect against this?
An attacker needs Administrator 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: Post Export Import with Media 1.17.2 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.
- Firewall
- Alerts
External References
Related records
Other vulnerabilities in Post Export Import with Media
Vulnerability data © Defiant, Inc., provided under the Wordfence Intelligence T&C