CVE-2026-5478 Everest Forms <= 3.4.4 - Unauthenticated Arbitrary File Read and Deletion via Upload Field 'old_files' Parameter
Unauthenticated attackers can read and delete arbitrary files via path traversal in the old_files parameter, potentially leading to site compromise.
- 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-2026-5478?
CVE-2026-5478 is a high-severity path traversal vulnerability in wpeverest Everest Forms – Contact Form, Payment Form, Quiz, Survey & Custom Form Builder, published on 20 Apr 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Official description
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.
Weakness: CWE-22
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-5478?
How do I fix CVE-2026-5478?
No fix has been published for CVE-2026-5478 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.
Upgrade, and resolve every user-supplied path against an allowed base folder before opening it. More about Path traversal.
Is CVE-2026-5478 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-5478 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as GHSA-xmpv-jqm7-jj2v.