CVE-2026-32496
Path Traversal in NYSL Spam Protect for Contact Form
Publication date: 2026-03-25
Last updated on: 2026-04-29
Assigner: Patchstack
Description
Description
CVSS Scores
EPSS Scores
| Probability: | |
| Percentile: |
Meta Information
Affected Vendors & Products
| Vendor | Product | Version / Range |
|---|---|---|
| patchstack | wp-contact-form-7-spam-blocker | From 1.0.0 (inc) to 1.2.9 (inc) |
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
| CWE ID | Description |
|---|---|
| CWE-22 | The product uses external input to construct a pathname that is intended to identify a file or directory that is located underneath a restricted parent directory, but the product does not properly neutralize special elements within the pathname that can cause the pathname to resolve to a location that is outside of the restricted directory. |
Attack-Flow Graph
AI Powered Q&A
How does this vulnerability affect compliance with common standards and regulations (like GDPR, HIPAA)?:
The vulnerability allows an attacker with Editor or Developer privileges to delete arbitrary files from the affected website, which could lead to the deletion of core files and potentially cause the website to break or stop functioning.
Such unauthorized file deletion and potential disruption of website functionality could impact compliance with standards and regulations like GDPR and HIPAA, which require protection of data integrity and availability.
However, the provided information does not explicitly mention the direct effects on compliance with these standards.
Can you explain this vulnerability to me?
CVE-2026-32496 is a medium severity vulnerability affecting the WordPress plugin "Spam Protect for Contact Form 7" versions up to and including 1.2.9.
The vulnerability is classified as Arbitrary File Deletion caused by broken access control, which is related to improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory (Path Traversal).
This flaw allows an attacker with Editor or Developer privileges to delete arbitrary files from the affected website.
How can this vulnerability impact me? :
Exploitation of this vulnerability could lead to deletion of core files on the website.
This may cause the website to break or stop functioning properly, resulting in potential downtime and loss of data or service availability.
How can this vulnerability be detected on my network or system? Can you suggest some commands?
This vulnerability allows an attacker with Editor or Developer privileges to delete arbitrary files from the affected website due to broken access control.
Detection can involve monitoring for unusual file deletion activities or unauthorized access attempts within the WordPress environment, especially targeting the Spam Protect for Contact Form 7 plugin.
Specific commands are not provided in the available resources.
What immediate steps should I take to mitigate this vulnerability?
Users are strongly advised to update the Spam Protect for Contact Form 7 plugin to version 1.2.10 or later immediately to prevent exploitation.
Patchstack provides mitigation by issuing rules to block attacks targeting this vulnerability until users update to the fixed version.
Utilizing automatic updates and rapid vulnerability mitigation services from Patchstack can also help protect your site.