CVE-2026-9290

WP User Manager <= 2.9.17 - Unauthenticated Path Traversal to Local File Inclusion via 'tab' Query Parameter

2026-06-05 00:00
Yat

Strategic Overview

Status
Patched in 2.9.18
Affected Plugin
WP User Manager – User Profile Builder & Membership
Affected Version
<= 2.9.17
CVSS
7.5High
Weakness type
CWE-22 · Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
CVE
CVE-2026-9290
View all WP User Manager – User Profile Builder & Membership vulnerabilities

At a glance

CVE-2026-9290 is a high-severity Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') vulnerability in the WP User Manager WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 2.9.17. 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 2.9.18; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed June 2026, reported by Yat.

Vulnerability Overview

The WP User Manager – User Profile Builder & Membership plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Local File Inclusion in all versions up to, and including, 2.9.17 via the (profile template scope) function. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to include and execute arbitrary .php files on the server, allowing the execution of any PHP code in those files. This can be used to bypass access controls, obtain sensitive data, or achieve code execution in cases where .php file types can be uploaded and included.

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-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')

Reaching this weakness in WP User Manager <= 2.9.17 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 WP User Manager the fix is 2.9.18: builds <= 2.9.17 are affected, anything from 2.9.18 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 2.9.18, 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: WP User Manager 2.9.18 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-2026-9290https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/7a5e08d8-c6ef-42a3-9599-28c3bfb35017https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-9290

Related records

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