CVE-2026-8996
Backup and Staging by WP Time Capsule <= 1.22.26 - Missing Authorization to Authenticated (Subscriber+) Sensitive Information Exposure via download_recent_decrypted_file_wptc Function
Description
The Backup and Staging by WP Time Capsule plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Sensitive Information Exposure in all versions up to, and including, 1.22.26 via the download_recent_decrypted_file_wptc. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with subscriber-level access and above, to extract download the most recently admin-decrypted SQL database backup, which typically contains password hashes, user credentials, and other sensitive site configuration data stored in the 'recent_decrypted_file' option. Exploitation requires that an administrator has previously performed a decrypt action, causing the decrypted SQL backup file to exist in the plugin's upload directory; without this prior admin action, there is no file to serve.
INFO
Published Date :
July 9, 2026, 8:16 a.m.
Last Modified :
July 9, 2026, 8:16 a.m.
Remotely Exploit :
Yes !
Source :
[email protected]
Affected Products
The following products are affected by CVE-2026-8996
vulnerability.
Even if cvefeed.io is aware of the exact versions of the
products
that
are
affected, the information is not represented in the table below.
CVSS Scores
| Score | Version | Severity | Vector | Exploitability Score | Impact Score | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | MEDIUM | [email protected] |
Solution
- Update the plugin to the latest version.
- Remove any sensitive files if exposed.
- Restrict access to sensitive backups.
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-2026-8996.
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration
While CVE identifies
specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or
weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-8996 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-2026-8996
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-2026-8996 vulnerability anywhere in the article.
The following table lists the changes that have been made to the
CVE-2026-8996 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.
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New CVE Received by [email protected]
Jul. 09, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added Affected [{'vendor': 'revmakx', 'product': 'Backup and Staging by WP Time Capsule', 'versions': [{'status': 'affected', 'version': '0', 'versionType': 'semver', 'lessThanOrEqual': '1.22.26'}], 'defaultStatus': 'unaffected'}] Added Description The Backup and Staging by WP Time Capsule plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Sensitive Information Exposure in all versions up to, and including, 1.22.26 via the download_recent_decrypted_file_wptc. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with subscriber-level access and above, to extract download the most recently admin-decrypted SQL database backup, which typically contains password hashes, user credentials, and other sensitive site configuration data stored in the 'recent_decrypted_file' option. Exploitation requires that an administrator has previously performed a decrypt action, causing the decrypted SQL backup file to exist in the plugin's upload directory; without this prior admin action, there is no file to serve. Added CVSS V3.1 AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N Added CWE CWE-862 Added Reference https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/wp-time-capsule/tags/1.22.26/Views/wptc-download-file.php#L23 Added Reference https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/wp-time-capsule/tags/1.22.26/wp-time-capsule.php#L3764 Added Reference https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/wp-time-capsule/tags/1.22.26/wp-time-capsule.php#L410 Added Reference https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/wp-time-capsule/trunk/Views/wptc-download-file.php#L23 Added Reference https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/wp-time-capsule/trunk/wp-time-capsule.php#L3764 Added Reference https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/wp-time-capsule/trunk/wp-time-capsule.php#L410 Added Reference https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset?reponame=&old=3563585%40wp-time-capsule&new=3563585%40wp-time-capsule Added Reference https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/f7c39d66-f1e1-4d41-a9e4-984aec3f37dc?source=cve