WordPress security changelog
HIGH CVE-2026-9282 Deferred

W3 Total Cache: Filesystem traversal

W3 Total Cache is affected by filesystem traversal. The vulnerable path is reachable without authentication. A crafted path can escape the intended directory and reach files or directories elsewhere on the server. The published affected range is <= 2.9.4.

CVE / CNA score 7.5 CVSS 3.1 · security@wordfence.com
NVD score Pending NVD has not published its own CVSS assessment.
Component
W3 Total Cache
Plugin slug
w3-total-cache
Affected
<= 2.9.4
Safe version
> 2.9.4
Published
Jul 11, 2026
Weakness
CWE-22 — Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')

This CVE was published Jul 11, 2026 and is one of 19 known issues for this plugin.

What to do

Update, patch or deactivate.

Update W3 Total Cache to a release after 2.9.4, 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.

Source record

Technical description

The W3 Total Cache plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Directory Traversal in all versions up to, and including, 2.9.4 via the setupSources function. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to read the contents of arbitrary files on the server, which can contain sensitive information. Exploitation requires enabling manual minify mode and supplying a manual-format minify filename so that the hash is empty and the f_array[] entries are not overwritten before reaching setupSources().

CVE / CNA vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N

References

Primary and upstream sources