dbcve.org
BackupbuddyWordPress extension · Ithemes

CVE-2022-31474

HIGH · 7.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2023-03-13
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 8.7.5.0 or later.
See remediation →
84/100
Remediation priority · High
High EPSS Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') vulnerability in iThemes BackupBuddy allows Path Traversal.This issue affects BackupBuddy: from 8.5.8.0 through 8.7.4.1.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

iThemes BackupBuddy plugin versions 8.5.8.0 through 8.7.4.1 contain a path traversal vulnerability that allows attackers to access files outside restricted directories by manipulating file paths with traversal sequences.

MitigationUpdate BackupBuddy to the latest version (beyond 8.7.4.1) which contains the patched code. Additionally, implement strict input validation on all file path parameters to prevent traversal sequences.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
BackupbuddyWordPress extension
Affected:>= 8.5.8.0, < 8.7.5.0

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Locate the BackupBuddy plugin installation
    Check your WordPress installation's wp-content/plugins/backupbuddy directory, or view the installed plugins in the WordPress admin dashboard under Plugins
    Affected if The BackupBuddy plugin directory exists or the plugin appears in WordPress admin
  2. Identify the installed version number
    In WordPress admin, click on the BackupBuddy plugin to view its details where the version is displayed. Alternatively, open the main plugin file (such as index.php or backupbuddy.php) and look for the version header comment at the top of the file
    Affected if The version displayed is 8.5.8.0, 8.5.9.0, 8.6.0.0, 8.7.0.0, 8.7.1.0, 8.7.2.0, 8.7.3.0, 8.7.4.0, or 8.7.4.1 (any version from 8.5.8.0 through 8.7.4.1 inclusive)
  3. Verify plugin activation status
    Check if the BackupBuddy plugin is currently activated in WordPress admin under Plugins > Installed Plugins. If you have CLI access, you can use: wp plugin list --status=active --name=backupbuddy
    Affected if The plugin shows as activated or active on your site
  4. Confirm web-facing exposure
    Determine if the WordPress site is publicly accessible and check whether the BackupBuddy export/download functionality is accessible. Review your web server logs for requests to backupbuddy-related endpoints containing ../ traversal sequences
    Affected if The site is live/publicly accessible and the BackupBuddy file handling functionality is reachable over the network
  5. Compare version against affected range
    Using the version found in step 2, verify whether it falls within >= 8.5.8.0 and < 8.7.5.0. Any version within this range is affected by the path traversal vulnerability
    Affected if The installed version is 8.5.8.0 or higher but lower than 8.7.5.0

You are affected if the BackupBuddy plugin is installed and activated with any version from 8.5.8.0 through 8.7.4.1, and the site is publicly accessible allowing potential attackers to exploit the path traversal flaw.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 8.7.5.0 or later
Fixed in 8.7.5.0
Interim mitigation

Update BackupBuddy to the latest version (beyond 8.7.4.1) which contains the patched code. Additionally, implement strict input validation on all file path parameters to prevent traversal sequences.

Recommended fix High confidence

8.7.5.0 or later

  1. Log in to the WordPress admin dashboard where BackupBuddy is installed
  2. Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins
  3. Locate BackupBuddy in the plugin list and check the version number
  4. Verify if the installed version is less than 8.7.5.0 (vulnerable versions: 8.5.8.0 through 8.7.4.1)
  5. If vulnerable, update BackupBuddy to version 8.7.5.0 or later via the WordPress plugin update mechanism
  6. Alternatively, download the latest version from ithemes.com and upload via Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin
  7. After updating, verify the new version is 8.7.5.0 or higher

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Backupbuddy Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation8.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
18.0 hours of engineering $3,180
Get the upgrade done

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2022-31474 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data