Prevent Direct Access – Protect WordPress Files <= 2.8.8.8 - Unauthenticated Protected File Access
| CVE | CVE-2026-3835 |
|---|---|
| CVSS | 5.3 (Medium) |
| Publicly Published | August 12, 2026 |
| Last Updated | August 13, 2026 |
| Researcher |
Lucas Montes (NiRoX)
|
Description
The Prevent Direct Access – Protect WordPress Files plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized access of protected files due to insufficient token validation in the `get_advance_file_by_url()` method in all versions up to, and including, 2.8.8.8 The method uses a SQL `LIKE` operator for token lookup without escaping wildcard characters via `$wpdb->esc_like()`. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to bypass the private token requirement by supplying SQL wildcard characters (such as `%`) as the token value, matching any record in the plugin's file table and downloading any protected file.
References
- plugins.trac.wordpress.org
- plugins.trac.wordpress.org
- plugins.trac.wordpress.org
- wordpress.org
- plugins.trac.wordpress.org
- plugins.trac.wordpress.org
- plugins.trac.wordpress.org
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Vulnerability Details for Prevent Direct Access – Protect WordPress Files
| Software Type | Plugin |
|---|---|
| Software Slug | prevent-direct-access (view on wordpress.org) |
| Patched? | Yes |
| Remediation | Update to version 2.8.8.9, or a newer patched version |
| Affected Version |
|
| Patched Version |
|
Recent vulnerabilities in Prevent Direct Access – Protect WordPress Files
| # | Title | CVE ID | CVSS | Researchers | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prevent Direct Access 2.8.6 - 2.8.8.2 - Incorrect Authorization to Authenticated (Contributor+) Multiple Media Actions | CVE-2025-3861 | 0xbro | April 24, 2025 | |
| 2 | Prevent Direct Access – Protect WordPress Files <= 2.8.8 - Unauthenticated Sensitive Information Exposure | CVE-2025-3923 | Tom Broucke | April 24, 2025 |
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