# CVE-2011-5208: Path traversal in n/a

> Remote attackers can read arbitrary files via directory traversal in the BackWPup WordPress plugin, requiring low privileges.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.0 (`AV:N/AC:L/Au:N/C:P/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 8 Oct 2012
- **Updated:** 16 Sep 2024
- **Also known as:** GHSA-vr83-qghg-2w85

## What is CVE-2011-5208?

CVE-2011-5208 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in n/a, published on 8 Oct 2012. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

Multiple directory traversal vulnerabilities in the BackWPup plugin before 1.4.1 for WordPress allow remote attackers to read arbitrary files via a .. (dot dot) in the wpabs parameter to (1) app/options-view_log-iframe.php or (2) app/options-runnow-iframe.php.

Weakness: CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2011-5208?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Backwpup Backwpup.

## How do I fix CVE-2011-5208?

No fix has been published for CVE-2011-5208 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2011-5208 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2011-5208 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in n/a

- [CVE-2011-4342](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2011-4342/): Code injection in n/a (high 7.5)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2011-5208 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2011-5208 is a medium-severity path traversal vulnerability in n/a, published on 8 Oct 2012. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2011-5208 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: n/a. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2011-5208/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2011-5208/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2011-5208
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2011-5208
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2011-5208

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2011-5208/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.