Description

Customer Arbitrary Content Deletion in WP Event SOlution <= 4.1.19 versions.

Executive Summary

Technical Details

Mitigations

References

Additional Metadata

{
  "score": "7.1",
  "pubDate": "2026-08-13T14:16:59.277Z",
  "pubdate": "2026-08-13T14:16:59.277Z",
  "executiveSummary": "An arbitrary file deletion vulnerability exists in the WP Event Solution plugin affecting versions 4.1.19 and prior. This security flaw allows unauthenticated or low-privileged remote attackers to delete arbitrary files on the underlying filesystem of the hosting server. The vulnerability poses a severe risk to system integrity and availability, as successful exploitation can lead to the deletion of critical application files, source code, configuration files such as wp-config.php, or core WordPress files, potentially resulting in a complete denial of service (DoS) or application takeover. The root cause stems from improper input validation and insufficient authorization checks prior to handling file deletion operations within the plugin logic. Attackers can leverage this capability by interacting with exposed endpoints or AJAX handlers designed within the product, supplying maliciously crafted parameters that target sensitive paths outside the intended web root or within restricted directories. Exploitation typically requires network access to the target WordPress installation and relies on the web server process possessing sufficient file system permissions to remove the targeted files. Remediation requires updating the plugin to a patched version once available or applying strict file system permission controls and Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to block malicious requests targeting deletion routines.",
  "technicalDetails": "The vulnerability resides within the WP Event Solution plugin for WordPress, specifically impacting versions <= 4.1.19. The flaw is categorized as an arbitrary file deletion vulnerability stemming from inadequate sanitization of user-supplied input utilized in file system operations and a lack of robust access control mechanisms protecting sensitive administrative or maintenance functions.\nDuring standard operation, the vulnerable component processes requests intended to clean up or remove assets associated with events. However, due to improper validation of path parameters—such as absolute paths or directory traversal sequences (e.g., ../)—the application fails to restrict file operations to a designated safe directory. Consequently, the input is passed directly to file deletion functions, such as PHP unlink() or equivalent wrappers, executed by the server-side code.\nThe attack flow proceeds as follows: First, the malicious actor identifies the exposed vulnerable endpoint or AJAX action handler exposed by the WP Event Solution plugin. Second, the attacker crafts a specialized HTTP request containing path manipulation payloads within the deletion parameter. Third, upon receipt, the application processes the request without verifying whether the requesting user possesses the requisite administrative privileges or authorization to modify the file system. Fourth, the execution context of the WordPress instance evaluates the path and triggers the deletion routine against the specified target file.\nDepending on the permissions of the user running the PHP process (e.g., www-data), the impact extends to any file readable or writable by that user account on the host operating system. This includes critical WordPress core files, plugins, themes, and configuration files. Successful exploitation does not inherently grant remote code execution (RCE) directly, but it can be chained with other techniques, such as deleting wp-config.php to force a reinstallation state where an attacker can supply their own database configuration and establish administrative access."
}