CVE-2026-3835 Prevent Direct Access – Protect WordPress Files <= 2.8.8.8 - Unauthenticated Protected File Access
Unauthenticated attackers can bypass token validation using SQL wildcards to download any protected file in the Prevent Direct Access WordPress plugin.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Not needed
- Attackable
- Over the internet
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- None listed
What is CVE-2026-3835?
CVE-2026-3835 is a medium-severity authentication bypass vulnerability in buildwps Prevent Direct Access – Protect WordPress Files, published on 13 Aug 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Official description
The Prevent Direct Access – Protect WordPress Files plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized access of protected files due to insufficient token validation in the `get_advance_file_by_url()` method in all versions up to, and including, 2.8.8.8 The method uses a SQL `LIKE` operator for token lookup without escaping wildcard characters via `$wpdb->esc_like()`. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to bypass the private token requirement by supplying SQL wildcard characters (such as `%`) as the token value, matching any record in the plugin's file table and downloading any protected file.
Weakness: CWE-285
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-3835?
How do I fix CVE-2026-3835?
No fix has been published for CVE-2026-3835 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.
Upgrade, and rotate credentials and sessions that may have been exposed. More about Authentication bypass.
Is CVE-2026-3835 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-3835 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as GHSA-xxpw-3xg9-qwph.