Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessIdentify site running AcyMailing <= 11.0.5
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DeliverySend crafted request with path-traversal payload
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ExploitPlugin resolves attacker-controlled path
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ExecutionDelete arbitrary file (e.g. wp-config.php)
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ImpactTrigger site outage or reinstall-based takeover
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A01:2025 - Broken Access Control
ASVS 5.0
V5 - File Handling Path canonicalization, traversal prevention
MITRE ATT&CK
2 techniques across 2 tactics: Discovery, Collection The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up. |
| Exploitation Conditions | Exploitation requires only that the AcyMailing SMTP Newsletter plugin version 11.0.5 or earlier be installed and reachable on a WordPress site; per the CVSS vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N) there is no authentication, no user interaction, and no special configuration needed - remote unauthenticated exploitation against default installations. The practical limiting factors are that the target must run the affected plugin version and the attacker must reach the vulnerable HTTP endpoint (not firewalled/WAF-blocked); the file actually deleted is constrained by the web server process's filesystem permissions. |
| Impact | This is a genuine high-priority issue by its technical profile, not merely an inflated CVSS number. The vendor (Patchstack) vector CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:N/A:H (8.6) describes a fully remote, unauthenticated, low-complexity path-traversal file deletion requiring no user interaction - the worst combination of accessibility metrics. For arbitrary file deletion in a WordPress plugin, the realistic consequence exceeds pure availability: deleting wp-config.php can force WordPress into its setup/reinstall state, enabling site takeover, so the true impact arguably includes integrity, not just the A:H the vendor assigned. No EPSS score, CISA KEV entry, or public POC was provided in the input, so there is no public exploit identified at time of analysis and no evidence of active exploitation; exploitation likelihood must be inferred from the trivial attack requirements rather than observed telemetry. The main caveat is single-sourcing: all data traces to one Patchstack advisory with no NVD CVSS, no independent confirmation, and no fixed-version statement, so affected-version and impact details should be validated against the vendor before treating as fully confirmed. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | A remote attacker sends a crafted HTTP request to the AcyMailing SMTP Newsletter plugin endpoint containing directory-traversal sequences (e.g. ../../) in a file-path parameter, requiring no authentication and no user interaction. The plugin resolves the attacker-controlled path and deletes the targeted file; by removing wp-config.php or other critical files the attacker can disrupt the site or push WordPress into a re-installation state leading to takeover. No public POC was identified in the provided data, but the AC:L/PR:N/UI:N profile makes reliable exploitation straightforward once the vulnerable parameter is known. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Oct 01, 2026
Unauthenticated remote attackers can delete arbitrary files on any WordPress site running the AcyMailing SMTP Newsletter plugin 11.0.5 or earlier, because the plugin does not properly constrain caller-supplied file paths before deleting them (CWE-22 path traversal). The CVSS:3.1 vector AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N shows no authentication, no user interaction and no special configuration is required - only that the vulnerable plugin version is installed and the vulnerable HTTP endpoint is reachable and not firewalled or WAF-blocked. Deletion is bounded by the web server process's filesystem permissions, but that still covers wp-config.php, .htaccess, plugin/theme files and uploads, so successful exploitation leads to site outages, data loss or a path to full site takeover; no public exploit code or active exploitation has been identified at time of analysis.
RemediationAI
Upgrade AcyMailing SMTP Newsletter to a version newer than 11.0.5; the exact patched release is listed in the Patchstack advisory (https://patchstack.com/database/wordpress/plugin/acymailing/vulnerability/wordpress-acymailing-smtp-newsletter-plugin-11-0-5-arbitrary-file-deletion-vulnerability?_s_id=cve), since the CVE record itself does not name a fixed version and vendor-released patch status is not independently confirmed from the available data - verify the fixed build there before relying on the update. If no patched version can be obtained, deactivate and remove the plugin; the trade-off is loss of its SMTP sending and newsletter delivery, so configure a replacement mailer first. If the plugin must remain live, layer compensating controls: block unauthenticated requests to the plugin's handler paths and to the admin-ajax/REST actions it registers at the reverse proxy or WAF (coarse filtering that may break legitimate front-end features), and tighten filesystem permissions so the web server user cannot delete wp-config.php, .htaccess or core/plugin/theme files (this can interfere with legitimate WordPress updates and uploads, so test before rolling out). Keep offline file and database backups so deleted files can be restored quickly, and monitor for unexpected 404s, missing configuration files or corrupted pages as exploitation indicators.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 1 package in euvd
Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.
Technical ContextAI · show details
This is a classic CWE-22 path traversal that lands as arbitrary file deletion rather than file disclosure: the AcyMailing SMTP Newsletter plugin (CPE cpe:2.3:a:acymailing_newsletter_team:acymailing_smtp_newsletter) accepts an attacker-controlled path in one of its request handlers and passes it into a file-removal routine without canonicalising it against an allowed base directory or checking it against an allow-list, so ../ sequences and equivalent encodings escape the intended directory. Because it is a WordPress plugin, the vulnerable handler is exposed over ordinary HTTP via the plugin's entry points, admin-ajax or REST routes; the AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N vector indicates that handler is reachable without authentication or user interaction, implying a missing capability/nonce check on the delete routine. Note that our independent assessment scores this as S:U with C:N/I:H/A:H - integrity and availability impact rather than confidentiality, since the primitive destroys rather than reads data - whereas the published 8.6 figure differs only in the scope metric (S:C); either way the practical effect is the same. Blast radius is governed by the privileges of the PHP/web server user: any file that user owns or can delete (wp-config.php, .htaccess, plugin and theme files, uploads) is reachable, which can disable the site, corrupt email/newsletter delivery, or be chained into further compromise.
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- Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources
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Severity by source
AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:N/A:H
Remote unauthenticated traversal (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N); arbitrary deletion destroys/alters files (I:H) and removes availability (A:H); no confidentiality read, so C:N and S:U.
Primary rating from Vendor (Patchstack).
CVSS VectorVendor: Patchstack
DescriptionCVE.org
Unauthenticated Arbitrary File Deletion in AcyMailing SMTP Newsletter <= 11.0.5 versions.
Executive ViewAI
The AcyMailing SMTP Newsletter plugin (versions 11.0.5 and earlier) for WordPress contains a high-severity unauthenticated file deletion flaw that can be exploited remotely to remove critical files such as wp-config.php or .htaccess, leading to site outages, data loss, or full site takeover. Any organization hosting a WordPress site with this plugin is at risk, and with no vendor patch currently available, leadership should prioritize immediate mitigation to protect web presence and sensitive data.
No vendor-released patch identified at time of analysis; interim mitigations include disabling or removing the vulnerable plugin, deploying WAF rules to block path traversal, restricting access to the vulnerable endpoint, and enforcing least privilege on web server file system permissions.
Threat Intelligence Overview
How this decision was reached
The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
Path traversal exploits occur when applications use user-controlled input to construct file system paths without proper validation.
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EUVD-2026-90855
GHSA-5c39-cf48-rvg8
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
Exploit-DB