CVE-2026-8996: Auth Bypass (CVSS 6.5)

Description

The Backup and Staging by WP Time Capsule plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Sensitive Information Exposure in all versions up to, and including, 1.22.26 via the download_recent_decrypted_file_wptc. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with subscriber-level access and above, to extract download the most recently admin-decrypted SQL database backup, which typically contains password hashes, user credentials, and other sensitive site configuration data stored in the 'recent_decrypted_file' option. Exploitation requires that an administrator has previously performed a decrypt action, causing the decrypted SQL backup file to exist in the plugin's upload directory; without this prior admin action, there is no file to serve.

Is your site exposed to CVE-2026-8996?

Run a free security scan — no signup, results in seconds.

CVSS v3.1 Score

6.5

MEDIUM

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

EPSS — Exploit Prediction

0.0027

Probability of exploitation

0.19%

Percentile rank

EPSS estimates the probability that this vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. A higher score means more likely to be exploited.

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-862 Missing Authorization

References

Other References

https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/wp-time-capsule/tags/1.22.26/Views/wptc-download-file.php#L23 https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/wp-time-capsule/tags/1.22.26/wp-time-capsule.php#L3764 https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/wp-time-capsule/tags/1.22.26/wp-time-capsule.php#L410 https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/wp-time-capsule/trunk/Views/wptc-download-file.php#L23 https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/wp-time-capsule/trunk/wp-time-capsule.php#L3764 https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/wp-time-capsule/trunk/wp-time-capsule.php#L410 https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset?reponame=&old=3563585%40wp-time-capsule&new=3563585%40wp-time-capsule https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/f7c39d66-f1e1-4d41-a9e4-984aec3f37dc?source=cve

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-8996? +

The Backup and Staging by WP Time Capsule plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Sensitive Information Exposure in all versions up to, and including, 1.22.26 via the download_recent_decrypted_file_wptc. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with subscriber-level access and above, to extract download the most recently admin-decrypted SQL database backup, which typically contains password hashes, user credentials, and other sensitive site configuration data stored in the 'recent_decrypted_file' option. Exploitation requires that an administrator has previously performed a decrypt action, causing the decrypted SQL backup file to exist in the plugin's upload directory; without this prior admin action, there is no file to serve. It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 6.5 (MEDIUM).

How severe is CVE-2026-8996? +

CVE-2026-8996 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 6.5 out of 10, rated MEDIUM. This is a medium-severity vulnerability that should be remediated as part of regular maintenance. The EPSS score is 0.0027, placing it in the 0th percentile for exploitation probability.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2026-8996? +

You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

Related Vulnerabilities

CVE-2026-40570

FreeScout is a free self-hosted help desk and shared mailbox. Prior to version 1.8.213, the `load_customer_info` action in `POST /conversation/ajax` …

CVE-2026-48127

Frappe is a full-stack web application framework. Prior to 16.20.0 and 15.110.0, users without write access could attach files to …

CVE-2026-42317

GLPI is a free asset and IT management software package. Starting in version 0.78 and prior to versions 10.0.25 and …

CVE-2026-4881

In affected versions of Octopus Server, permissions were not checked correctly resulting in any authenticated user being able to make …

CVE-2026-40543

SOPlanning does not enforce authorization for backup functionalities. An unauthenticated attacker can directly query backup-related endpoints and retrieve backup archives …

CVE-2026-10831

A denial-of-service vulnerability exists in NPort devices because of improper access control on the command port. The command interface does …

CVE-2026-8996