# Download Manager <= 3.3.74 - Authenticated (Contributor+) Insecure Direct Object Reference to Asset Manager File Download via [wpdm_asset] Shortcode

- **ID:** WPSEC-2026-2298
- **Plugin:** Download Manager (`download-manager`), https://wordpress.org/plugins/download-manager/
- **Affected versions:** from 3.0.4 before 3.3.75
- **Fixed in:** 3.3.75 (Update to 3.3.75 or later.)
- **Severity:** Medium 6.5 (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N)
- **Weakness:** CWE-639
- **Usage among sites WPSec scans:** plugin High, affected versions High (as of 2026-11-03)
- **Attack surface analysis:** https://attacksurface.wpsec.com/plugin/download-manager
- **Fix released:** 2026-11-01
- **Published:** 2026-11-03
- **URL:** https://wpsec.com/vuln/WPSEC-2026-2298/

## Description

The Download Manager plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Insecure Direct Object Reference in all versions up to, and including, 3.3.74 via the [wpdm_asset] shortcode due to missing validation on the user-controlled 'id' attribute. The shortcode loaded any Asset Manager asset by ID and rendered a download link without checking whether the viewer or the post's author had access to it. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Contributor-level access and above, to embed any Asset Manager asset in a post and download files that were not shared with them.

## References

- https://wpsec.com/vuln/WPSEC-2026-2298/
- https://plugins.svn.wordpress.org/download-manager/tags/3.3.75/
- https://wordpress.org/plugins/download-manager/

Source: WPSec, https://wpsec.com/vuln/WPSEC-2026-2298/

License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Free to use, share and adapt, also commercially, if you credit WPSec and link to this advisory.