Perfmatters: Filesystem traversal
Perfmatters is affected by filesystem traversal. Exploitation requires at least subscriber-level access. A crafted path can escape the intended directory and reach files or directories elsewhere on the server. The published affected range is <= 2.5.9.
- Component
- Perfmatters
- Plugin slug
perfmatters- Affected
- <= 2.5.9
- Safe version
> 2.5.9- Published
- Apr 10, 2026
This CVE was published Apr 10, 2026 and is one of 9 known issues for this plugin.
Update, patch or deactivate.
Update Perfmatters to a release after 2.5.9, or disable and remove it until a fixed version is available.
A safe version is available, so updating to that version or later is the preferred remediation. If an immediate update is not practical, consider a targeted application patch or temporarily restricting the affected functionality.
Deactivate only when warranted by your risk profile, or when advised by your hosting provider in the limited circumstances where the vulnerability cannot otherwise be mitigated. If you’re unsure which action is appropriate, contact Fused or your hosting provider for guidance.
Technical description
The Perfmatters plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to arbitrary file overwrite via path traversal in all versions up to, and including, 2.5.9. This is due to the `PMCS::action_handler()` method processing the bulk action `activate`/`deactivate` handlers without any authorization check or nonce verification. The `$_GET['snippets'][]` values are passed unsanitized to `Snippet::activate()`/`Snippet::deactivate()` which call `Snippet::update()` then `file_put_contents()` with the traversed path. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Subscriber-level access and above, to overwrite arbitrary files on the server with a fixed PHP docblock content, potentially causing denial of service by corrupting critical files like `.htaccess` or `index.php`.
CVE / CNA vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:H