Everest Forms <= 3.4.4 - Unauthenticated Arbitrary File Read and Deletion via Upload Field 'old_files' Parameter
The Everest Forms plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Arbitrary File Read and Deletion in all versions up to, and including, 3.4.4. This is due to the plugin trusting attacker-controlled old_files data from public form submissions as legitimate server-side upload state, and converting attacker-supplied URLs into local filesystem paths using regex-based string replacement without canonicalization or directory boundary enforcement. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to read arbitrary local files (e.g., wp-config.php) by injecting path-traversal payloads into the old_files upload field parameter, which are then attached to notification emails. The same path resolution is also used in the post-email cleanup routine, which calls unlink() on the resolved path, resulting in the targeted file being deleted after being attached. This can lead to full site compromise through disclosure of database credentials and authentication salts from wp-config.php, and denial of service through deletion of critical files. Prerequisite: The form must contain a file-upload or image-upload field, and disable storing entry information.
CVE-2026-5478 is a high severity with CVSS 8.1 Vulnerability issue affecting the Plugin Everest Forms – Contact Form, Payment Form, Quiz, Survey & Custom Form Builder. It affects Versions up to 3.4.4 and is fixed in 3.4.5.
CVE-2026-5478 is tracked for the Plugin Everest Forms – Contact Form, Payment Form, Quiz, Survey & Custom Form Builder as high severity with CVSS 8.1. The affected range is Versions up to 3.4.4. Update Everest Forms – Contact Form, Payment Form, Quiz, Survey & Custom Form Builder to 3.4.5 or newer where that version is compatible with the site.
| Software Type | Plugin |
|---|---|
| Software Slug |
everest-forms
View on wordpress.org
|
| CVE | CVE-2026-5478 |
| Patched Versions |
3.4.5
|
| Affected Versions |
Versions up to 3.4.4
|
Related CVEs for Everest Forms – Contact Form, Payment Form, Quiz, Survey & Custom Form Builder
These internal links group the same WordPress plugin by CVE, issue type, severity, and patch status so operators and search engines can connect the full vulnerability cluster.
Everest Forms <= 3.4.3 - Unauthenticated PHP Object Injection via Form Entry Metadata
Everest Forms – Contact Form, Quiz, Survey, Newsletter & Payment Form Builder for WordPress <= 3.1.1 - Unauthenticated PHP Object Injection
Everest Forms <= 3.0.9.4 - Unauthenticated Arbitrary File Upload, Read, and Deletion
Contact Form, Drag and Drop Form Builder for WordPress – Everest Forms <= 1.4.9 - SQL Injection
Everest Forms <= 3.2.2 - Unauthenticated PHP Object Injection
Everest Forms <= 2.0.7 - Unauthenticated Server-Side Request Forgery via font_url
Everest Forms <= 3.1.1 - Reflected Cross-Site Scripting
Everest Forms <= 1.7.9 - Reflected Cross-Site Scripting
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