CVE-2026-76549 in UpdraftPlus WP Backup & Migration Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 08/27/2026
The UpdraftPlus: WP Backup & Migration Plugin WordPress plugin before 1.26.7 does not have CSRF checks in one of its backup management actions, which could allow attackers to make a logged in admin restore an existing backup, reverting the site's database and files to an earlier state, via a crafted link.
If you want to get best quality of vulnerability data, you may have to visit VulDB.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/27/2026
The vulnerability identified in UpdraftPlus versions prior to 1.26.7 represents a critical failure in access control mechanisms within a widely used WordPress plugin designed for website backups and migration. The core technical flaw lies in the absence of Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) protections on specific backup management endpoints, particularly those responsible for initiating restore operations. In standard web application security practices, state-changing actions such as restoring database dumps or file archives must require a unique, unpredictable token to verify that the request originated from an authorized user interacting with the legitimate interface of the application. Without this validation step, the server processes these requests based solely on the presence of valid session cookies, assuming any authenticated user intended to perform the action. This architectural oversight allows external actors to craft malicious URLs or HTML forms that, when visited by a logged-in administrator, trigger the restore process without their explicit consent or knowledge.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe due to the nature of backup restoration functionality. An attacker who successfully exploits this flaw can force an administrative user to revert the entire WordPress installation, including both the database and file system, to a previous state defined by one of the existing backups stored on the server. This action effectively undoes any recent changes made to the site since that specific backup was created. In practical terms, this could result in significant data loss if critical updates, new content, or security patches applied after the last backup were discarded. Furthermore, attackers may leverage this capability as part of a broader attack chain. For instance, they might first compromise an account through phishing to ensure the victim is logged into WordPress, and then deliver the malicious link via email or social engineering. The restoration process could also be used to remove recent security hardening measures or revert the site to a state where known vulnerabilities are still present, thereby facilitating further exploitation such as remote code execution or defacement.
From an industry standards perspective, this vulnerability is classified under CWE-352, which describes Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF). The lack of anti-CSRF tokens directly violates fundamental principles of secure design that mandate the verification of user intent for all state-changing operations. In terms of offensive security frameworks, this exploit aligns with MITRE ATT&CK technique T1498.002, Network Boundary Bridging: Remote Service Vulnerability, as it involves leveraging a web application vulnerability to manipulate system state. It also relates to the broader category of unauthorized data modification or destruction, which falls under impact categories such as Integrity and Availability within the CIA triad. The ability to revert site configurations undermines the integrity of the digital environment and can disrupt business continuity if critical operational changes are lost.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability primarily involve immediate software updates. Administrators running UpdraftPlus should upgrade to version 1.26.7 or later, where the developers have implemented proper CSRF validation mechanisms on all backup management actions. Until an update is applied, site administrators can employ several defensive measures to reduce risk. These include enforcing strict session timeouts so that administrative sessions expire quickly after inactivity, thereby limiting the window of opportunity for such attacks. Additionally, using multi-factor authentication adds a layer of verification that makes it harder for attackers to maintain persistent access or trick users into performing actions while authenticated. Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) can also be configured to detect and block suspicious patterns associated with CSRF attempts, although this is less effective than patching the root cause. Regular auditing of plugin code for similar missing validations in other endpoints is recommended to ensure comprehensive protection against state manipulation attacks.