# 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.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.3 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:N`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** No
- **Published:** 13 Aug 2026
- **Updated:** 13 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** GHSA-xxpw-3xg9-qwph

## 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 (Improper Authorization)

## 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.

## Is CVE-2026-3835 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-3835 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-3835 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: 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.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-3835 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: buildwps Prevent Direct Access – Protect WordPress Files. 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-2026-3835/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-3835/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-3835
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-3835
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-3835

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From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-3835/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.