dbcve.org
Missing AuthorizationWeakness · CWE-862

CVE-2026-0829

MEDIUM · 5.8 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-02-17
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
67/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
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
The Frontend File Manager Plugin WordPress plugin through 23.5 allows unauthenticated users to send emails through the site without any security checks. This lets attackers use the WordPress site as an open relay for spam or phishing emails to anyone. Attackers can also guess file IDs to access and share uploaded files without permission, exposing sensitive information.

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

The Frontend File Manager Plugin for WordPress through version 23.5 contains two critical security flaws: an authentication bypass allowing unauthenticated users to send arbitrary emails via the WordPress site (open relay for spam/phishing), and an Insecure Direct Object Reference (IDOR) vulnerability where predictable file IDs enable unauthorized access to sensitive uploaded files without permission.

MitigationImplement proper authentication and authorization checks on all email-sending functions to ensure only authorized users can send emails, and add access control validation to verify users have permission before allowing file access or sharing.

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

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
Changed
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
Low
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:L/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. Confirm plugin installation and version
    Navigate to WordPress admin > Plugins and locate 'Frontend File Manager' or check wp-content/plugins/frontend-file-manager for the version number in the main PHP file header
    Affected if The plugin is installed and the version is 23.5 or lower (any version 'through 23.5')
  2. Identify email-sending endpoint exposure
    Review the plugin's AJAX handlers or form processing files (typically in includes/ or src/ folders) to locate any email-related functions that handle wp_mail() calls; check if these are hooked to wp_ajax_nopriv_ actions which allow unauthenticated access
    Affected if Email-sending functions are hooked to 'wp_ajax_nopriv_' or 'wp_ajax_nopriv' action hooks, allowing unauthenticated access
  3. Test for open email relay
    Send a crafted POST request to the plugin's AJAX endpoint (commonly /wp-admin/admin-ajax.php with action parameter matching the email function) with a test payload containing a spoofed 'from' address and external recipient; observe if the server accepts and relays the email without authentication
    Affected if The server accepts and sends emails without requiring WordPress user authentication (response indicates success or email is delivered to external addresses)
  4. Check file access authorization logic
    Examine the plugin's file download/share handler functions in the includes/ or src/ directories; look for code that retrieves files by ID without verifying the current user owns or has permission to access that file ID
    Affected if File retrieval functions lack current_user_can() or ownership verification checks before serving file content
  5. Test IDOR vulnerability with file IDs
    Upload a test file via an authenticated account, note the assigned file ID, then attempt to access that file ID via the plugin's download endpoint while logged out or as a different unprivileged user; verify if the file is served without permission denied
    Affected if Files are accessible via direct ID reference without proper ownership or permission validation

A user is affected if the Frontend File Manager plugin version 23.5 or lower is installed AND either unauthenticated email sending is possible OR file access does not validate user ownership before serving files.

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
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Implement proper authentication and authorization checks on all email-sending functions to ensure only authorized users can send emails, and add access control validation to verify users have permission before allowing file access or sharing.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Update to the latest available version of the Frontend File Manager plugin (version higher than 23.5)

  1. 1. Log in to the WordPress admin dashboard
  2. 2. Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins
  3. 3. Locate the 'Frontend File Manager' plugin
  4. 4. If an update is available, click 'Update Now' to install the latest version
  5. 5. Verify the update was successful by checking the plugin version number

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

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
14.0 hours of engineering $2,490
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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-2026-0829 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