CVE-2026-18051
W3 Total Cache < 2.10.5 - Unauthenticated Arbitrary Directory File Write and .htaccess Overwrite via Path Traversal in the Page Cache Key
- State
- Published
- Severity
- 10.0 Critical
- Published
- Aug 19, 2026
- Updated
- Aug 19, 2026
- Reserved
- Jul 28, 2026
Description
The W3 Total Cache WordPress plugin before 2.10.5 does not properly validate the request path it uses to build cache file names, allowing unauthenticated attackers to write a file into any existing directory on the server, inside or outside the web root, overwriting whatever occupies the target name. On Apache, the same flaw overwrites the site's .htaccess files, which breaks the site and can strip hardening rules that other security measures rely on.
Scores
| CVSS | Score | Vector | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.1 | 10.0 Critical | CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:H/A:H | CISA-ADP |
Weaknesses
- CWE-22 Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
Affected Products
| Product | Versions |
|---|---|
W3 Total CacheUnknown |
|
References
- https://wpscan.com/vulnerability/dc56cdd2-419b-4a64-9d2a-29dc7e79cb6d/exploitvdb-entrytechnical-description
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