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Path TraversalWeakness · CWE-22

CVE-2026-24953

MEDIUM · 6.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-02-20
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
71/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Remotely reachable 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 Mitchell Bennis Simple File List simple-file-list allows Path Traversal.This issue affects Simple File List: from n/a through <= 6.1.15.

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 · moderate confidence

A Path Traversal vulnerability exists in Simple File List plugin versions through 6.1.15, allowing attackers to access files outside the intended directory through manipulation of file path inputs. The application fails to properly validate or sanitize pathname inputs used in file operations.

MitigationUpgrade to a patched version that implements proper path validation, canonicalization, and restricts file operations to allowed directories.

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
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
None
Availability
None

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/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. Identify Simple File List plugin version
    Access the WordPress admin dashboard, navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins, locate Simple File List, and read the version number from the plugin description. Alternatively, inspect the plugin's main PHP file or readme.txt for the Version header.
    Affected if The installed version is 6.1.15 or any earlier version (e.g., 6.1.14, 6.1.10, etc.)
  2. Confirm the plugin is active
    In the WordPress admin under Plugins > Installed Plugins, verify that Simple File List shows as 'Active'. Path traversal can only be exploited on active plugins.
    Affected if The plugin status is Active and the version is 6.1.15 or earlier
  3. Verify file operation features are accessible
    Check if the plugin's file upload, download, or file management interfaces are enabled and publicly or internally accessible. Inspect the plugin settings under the Simple File List admin page to confirm whether file operations are permitted.
    Affected if File upload, download, or file management features are enabled and the version is 6.1.15 or earlier
  4. Inspect for canonical path validation in plugin code
    Examine the plugin's PHP source files (particularly those handling file operations such as ee-download.php, ee-file-operations.php, or similar) for absence of realpath(), basename(), or path sanitization functions before performing file operations.
    Affected if The version is 6.1.15 or earlier and the code lacks proper path validation routines before file access operations
  5. Test for path traversal vulnerability
    If you have access to the file operation interface, attempt to access a known file outside the upload directory by manipulating path parameters (e.g., using ../ sequences in file path inputs). Observe whether files outside the intended directory are accessible or returned.
    Affected if The version is 6.1.15 or earlier and the application returns files from directories outside the configured upload directory when path traversal sequences are provided

The environment is affected if Simple File List plugin version 6.1.15 or earlier is installed, active, and has file operation features enabled, with the plugin lacking proper path sanitization in its file handling code.

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.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Upgrade to a patched version that implements proper path validation, canonicalization, and restricts file operations to allowed directories.

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-2026-24953 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
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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