Paid Downloads <= 3.15 - Unauthenticated Arbitrary File Upload via 'paiddownloads_update_file' Action
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Network
- Privileges required
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- High
- Impact type
- Code execution
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- No fix listed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA. Impact type from CWE-434.
Summary
The Paid Downloads plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Arbitrary File Upload in all versions up to, and including, 3.15 via the admin_request_handler function. This is due to missing authorization and file type validation in the admin_request_handler function, which is reachable unauthenticated via is_admin() returning true for /wp-admin/admin-post.php. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to upload files that may be executable, which makes remote code execution possible. On Apache servers where AllowOverride is enabled, an .htaccess file placed in the upload directory may block direct HTTP retrieval of uploaded files, limiting exploitability to stacks that do not honor .htaccess directives such as nginx, LiteSpeed, and Apache with AllowOverride None.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Total
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
Remediation
No fixed version listed by the sources yet.
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-87935
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-8qvx-4h8h-jjwf
References
Other 5
- https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/3f0251e5-e575-4662-b81d-72c106e92b50?source=cve
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/paid-downloads/tags/3.15/paid-downloads.php#L79
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/paid-downloads/tags/3.15/paid-downloads.php#L941
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/paid-downloads/tags/3.15/paid-downloads.php#L1036
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/paid-downloads/tags/3.15/paid-downloads.php#L1902
More ichurakov vulnerabilities
- TI-2025-42316 WordPress Paid Downloads plugin <= 3.15 - SQL Injection vulnerability CVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.3
Sources
- CVE-2026-87935 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-87935 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-8qvx-4h8h-jjwf · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences