dbcve.org
Command InjectionWeakness · CWE-77

CVE-2026-9834

HIGH · 7.2 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-07-02
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
78/100
Remediation priority · High
Remotely reachable Zero-click 8 weeks old

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 WP Database Backup – Unlimited Database & Files Backup by Backup for WP plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to OS Command Injection in all versions up to and including 7.11 via the `wp_db_exclude_table` parameter. This is due to the direct concatenation of user-supplied `$_POST['wp_db_exclude_table']` values into the `mysqldump` shell command string in the `mysqldump()` function of `includes/admin/class-wpdb-admin.php` without wrapping them in `escapeshellarg()`—every other argument in the same command (DB_USER, DB_PASSWORD, host, filename, DB_NAME) is properly escaped, making the exclude-table values the sole exception—and because the only applied filtering, `sanitize_text_field()` via `recursive_sanitize_text_field()`, strips HTML tags but leaves shell metacharacters such as `;`, `|`, `` ` ``, and `$()` intact. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with administrator-level access and above, to execute arbitrary operating system commands on the server, potentially enabling full remote code execution. The injection is stored: malicious values submitted through the plugin settings form are persisted to the WordPress options table via `update_option('wp_db_exclude_table')` and later retrieved with `get_option()` and passed unsanitized to `shell_exec()` whenever a backup operation runs.

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 WP Database Backup plugin for WordPress contains an OS command injection vulnerability in the mysqldump() function where the wp_db_exclude_table POST parameter is directly concatenated into a shell command without escapeshellarg() sanitization. Although sanitize_text_field() is applied, it only removes HTML and leaves shell metacharacters like ;, |, `, and $() intact. Since the value is stored in the WordPress options table and executed during every backup operation, authenticated administrators can achieve persistent remote code execution.

MitigationApply escapeshellarg() to the wp_db_exclude_table parameter before embedding it in the mysqldump command string, or refactor to use parameterized approaches that avoid shell execution entirely.

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

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

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. Verify WP Database Backup plugin is installed
    In WordPress admin, go to Plugins > Installed Plugins and look for 'WP Database Backup' or check the filesystem at /wp-content/plugins/ for a folder named 'wp-database-backup' or similar. Retrieve the version from the plugin header comment in the main PHP file.
    Affected if The plugin is installed and active.
  2. Retrieve the stored wp_db_exclude_table option value
    Access the WordPress database (via phpMyAdmin or wp-cli: wp db query "SELECT option_value FROM wp_options WHERE option_name='wp_db_exclude_table'") and examine the value stored in the options table for the wp_db_exclude_table parameter.
    Affected if The option exists and contains shell metacharacters like ; | ` $() or other unexpected characters.
  3. Inspect the mysqldump function source code
    Locate the plugin's main PHP file and find the mysqldump() function. Search for the code that handles the wp_db_exclude_table parameter and verify whether escapeshellarg() is applied before shell command concatenation.
    Affected if The parameter is concatenated into the shell command without escapeshellarg() sanitization.
  4. Check backup configuration for custom exclude table settings
    Navigate to the plugin's backup settings page in WordPress admin (usually under Tools > Database Backup) and examine the 'Exclude Tables' or similar field where users can specify tables to exclude from the backup.
    Affected if The plugin allows user input for table exclusion that gets passed to mysqldump without proper shell escaping.

A defender is affected if the WP Database Backup plugin is installed, the wp_db_exclude_table option contains shell metacharacters, and the mysqldump function does not use escapeshellarg() on this parameter before command execution.

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

Apply escapeshellarg() to the wp_db_exclude_table parameter before embedding it in the mysqldump command string, or refactor to use parameterized approaches that avoid shell execution entirely.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Latest version available on wordpress.org (verify version > 7.11 contains the security fix)

  1. 1. Navigate to the WordPress admin dashboard
  2. 2. Go to Plugins > Installed Plugins
  3. 3. Locate the 'WP Database Backup' plugin (also known as 'Backup for WP')
  4. 4. Check the current installed version (should be 7.11 or lower)
  5. 5. If an update is available, click 'Update Now' to install the latest version
  6. 6. Alternatively, download the latest version from wordpress.org/plugins/wp-database-backup/ and upload via Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin
  7. 7. After updating, verify the `wp_db_exclude_table` parameter is now properly sanitized with `escapeshellarg()` in the plugin code at `includes/admin/class-wpdb-admin.php`

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

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
13.0 hours of engineering $2,280
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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-2026-9834 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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