CVE-2026-9834 WP Database Backup <= 7.11 - Authenticated (Administrator+) OS Command Injection via 'wp_db_exclude_table' Parameter
Authenticated administrators can execute arbitrary OS commands via the exclude-table parameter in the WP Database Backup plugin.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- An administrator
- Attackable
- Over the internet
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- None listed
What is CVE-2026-9834?
CVE-2026-9834 is a high-severity command injection vulnerability in databasebackup WP Database Backup – Unlimited Database & Files Backup by Backup for WP, published on 2 Jul 2026. An attacker needs administrator access to exploit it, with no action from the victim.
Official description
The WP Database Backup – Unlimited Database & Files Backup by Backup for WP plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to OS Command Injection in all versions up to and including 7.11 via the `wp_db_exclude_table` parameter. This is due to the direct concatenation of user-supplied `$_POST['wp_db_exclude_table']` values into the `mysqldump` shell command string in the `mysqldump()` function of `includes/admin/class-wpdb-admin.php` without wrapping them in `escapeshellarg()`—every other argument in the same command (DB_USER, DB_PASSWORD, host, filename, DB_NAME) is properly escaped, making the exclude-table values the sole exception—and because the only applied filtering, `sanitize_text_field()` via `recursive_sanitize_text_field()`, strips HTML tags but leaves shell metacharacters such as `;`, `|`, `` ` ``, and `$()` intact. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with administrator-level access and above, to execute arbitrary operating system commands on the server, potentially enabling full remote code execution. The injection is stored: malicious values submitted through the plugin settings form are persisted to the WordPress options table via `update_option('wp_db_exclude_table')` and later retrieved with `get_option()` and passed unsanitized to `shell_exec()` whenever a backup operation runs.
Weakness: CWE-77
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-9834?
How do I fix CVE-2026-9834?
No fix has been published for CVE-2026-9834 yet. Limit exposure of the affected software until one is available.
Upgrade, and pass arguments to programs as a list instead of through a shell. More about Command injection.
Is CVE-2026-9834 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-9834 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as GHSA-9g3c-r4j4-8m9r.