# CVE-2026-16230: Formidable Digital Signatures <= 3.0.6 - Unauthenticated Arbitrary File Deletion via Signature Field

> Unauthenticated attackers can delete arbitrary files on the server via path traversal in the Formidable Digital Signatures WordPress plugin.

- **Severity:** Critical 9.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 11 Aug 2026
- **Updated:** 11 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-vgm7-9pjc-5gcf

## What is CVE-2026-16230?

CVE-2026-16230 is a critical path traversal vulnerability in Strategy11 Formidable Digital Signatures, published on 11 Aug 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

The Formidable Digital Signatures plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to file deletion due to insufficient file path validation in the delete_file function in all versions up to, and including, 3.0.6. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to delete files on the server by supplying an attacker-controlled filename in the item_meta[field_id][content] parameter alongside the delete_saved_image flag during the standard entry-creation POST flow on any form that accepts anonymous submissions.

Weakness: CWE-23 (Relative Path Traversal)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-16230?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-16230?

No fix has been published for CVE-2026-16230 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.

## Is CVE-2026-16230 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-16230 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-16230 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-16230 is a critical path traversal vulnerability in Strategy11 Formidable Digital Signatures, published on 11 Aug 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-16230 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Strategy11 Formidable Digital Signatures. 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-2026-16230/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-16230/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-16230
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-16230
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-16230

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-16230/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.