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: See mitigation notes
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 23 known issues for this plugin.

What to do

Update, patch or deactivate.

No fixed release is identified. Update W3 Total Cache when a release after 2.9.4 becomes available; until then, disable and remove it when the site's risk warrants. The official upstream changelog lists version 2.10.6, which is newer than the published affected range. Its changelog does not clearly confirm this specific fix, so it is not counted as a known-safe release.

No confirmed safe version is listed. Consider a vendor-supported patch or temporarily restricting the affected functionality while you assess the risk.

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

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