CVE-2026-16253
Total Upkeep < 1.17.3 - Unauthenticated Sensitive Data Disclosure and Forced Site Restore via Predictable cron_secret
Description
The Total Upkeep WordPress plugin before 1.17.3 does not adequately protect the secret that authorizes its backup-restore functionality and exposes it to unauthenticated users, allowing them to disclose sensitive backup information and to force a full site restore that overwrites the live site's files and database. This is an incomplete fix of CVE-2020-36848, as the protection added at the time never took effect on distributed copies of the plugin.
INFO
Published Date :
Aug. 12, 2026, 6:18 a.m.
Last Modified :
Sept. 3, 2026, 1:04 p.m.
Remotely Exploit :
Yes !
Source :
[email protected]
CVSS Scores
| Score | Version | Severity | Vector | Exploitability Score | Impact Score | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS | 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0 | |||||
| CVSS 3.1 | HIGH | 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0 |
Solution
- Update the Total Upkeep WordPress plugin.
- Verify plugin version is 1.17.3 or higher.
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools
Here, you will find a curated list of external links that provide in-depth
information, practical solutions, and valuable tools related to
CVE-2026-16253.
| URL | Resource |
|---|---|
| https://wpscan.com/vulnerability/97abf25a-48d4-4dfa-a7a3-de88455be7eb/ |
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration
While CVE identifies
specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or
weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-16253 is
associated with the following CWEs:
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification
(CAPEC)
stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and
approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2026-16253
weaknesses.
We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).
Results are limited to the first 15 repositories due to potential performance issues.
The following list is the news that have been mention
CVE-2026-16253 vulnerability anywhere in the article.
The following table lists the changes that have been made to the
CVE-2026-16253 vulnerability over time.
Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.
-
CVE Modified by [email protected]
Sep. 03, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Changed Description The Total Upkeep WordPress plugin before 1.17.3 does not adequately protect the secret that authorizes its backup-restore functionality and exposes it to unauthenticated users, allowing them to disclose sensitive backup information and to force a full site restore that overwrites the live site's files and database. The Total Upkeep WordPress plugin before 1.17.3 does not adequately protect the secret that authorizes its backup-restore functionality and exposes it to unauthenticated users, allowing them to disclose sensitive backup information and to force a full site restore that overwrites the live site's files and database. This is an incomplete fix of CVE-2020-36848, as the protection added at the time never took effect on distributed copies of the plugin. Added Reference https://wpscan.com/vulnerability/97abf25a-48d4-4dfa-a7a3-de88455be7eb/ Removed Reference https://wpscan.com/vulnerability/97abf25a-48d4-4dfa-a7a3-de88455be7eb/ -
CVE Modified by 134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0
Aug. 12, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added CVSS V3.1 AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N Added CWE CWE-200 Added SSVC {'id': 'CVE-2026-16253', 'role': 'CISA Coordinator', 'options': [{'exploitation': 'poc'}, {'automatable': 'yes'}, {'technicalImpact': 'partial'}], 'version': '2.0.3', 'timestamp': '2026-08-12T16:08:27.994294Z'} -
New CVE Received by [email protected]
Aug. 12, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added Affected [{'vendor': 'Unknown', 'product': 'Total Upkeep', 'versions': [{'status': 'affected', 'version': '0', 'lessThan': '1.17.3', 'versionType': 'semver'}], 'defaultStatus': 'unaffected'}] Added Description The Total Upkeep WordPress plugin before 1.17.3 does not adequately protect the secret that authorizes its backup-restore functionality and exposes it to unauthenticated users, allowing them to disclose sensitive backup information and to force a full site restore that overwrites the live site's files and database. Added Reference https://wpscan.com/vulnerability/97abf25a-48d4-4dfa-a7a3-de88455be7eb/