CVE-2026-5478CWE-22

Everest Forms <= 3.4.4 - Unauthenticated Arbitrary File Read and Deletion via Upload Field 'old_files' Parameter

High · published April 20, 2026

CVSS v3.1
8.1
EPSS
1%
Percentile
61.0
In the wild
Unconfirmed
What it is

The Everest Forms plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Arbitrary File Read and Deletion in all versions up to, and including, 3.4.4. This is due to the plugin trusting attacker-controlled old_files data from public form submissions as legitimate server-side upload state, and converting attacker-supplied URLs into local filesystem paths using regex-based string replacement without canonicalization or directory boundary enforcement. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to read arbitrary local files (e.g., wp-config.php) by injecting path-traversal payloads into the old_files upload field parameter, which are then attached to notification emails. The same path resolution is also used in the post-email cleanup routine, which calls unlink() on the resolved path, resulting in the targeted file being deleted after being attached. This can lead to full site compromise through disclosure of database credentials and authentication salts from wp-config.php, and denial of service through deletion of critical files. Prerequisite: The form must contain a file-upload or image-upload field, and disable storing entry information.

The record
Technical detail
CVSS v3.1
8.1 · HIGH
Vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
CVSS v4.0
Not supplied
EPSS
0.00954 · 61.0th percentile
Weakness
CWE-22 · Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
Published
2026-04-20T19:27Z
EPSS history
Timeline
  • 20 APR 19:27Z
    Everest Forms <= 3.4.4 - Unauthenticated Arbitrary File Read and Deletion via Upload Field 'old_files' Parameter
    cvelistv5