# BackUpWordPress <= 3.14 - Authenticated (Subscriber+) Missing Authorization to Backup Directory File Deletion via hmbkp_dismiss_error AJAX Action

- **ID:** WPSEC-2026-2647
- **Plugin:** BackUpWordPress (`backupwordpress`), https://wordpress.org/plugins/backupwordpress/
- **Affected versions:** from 1.6.2 before 3.15
- **Fixed in:** 3.15 (Update to 3.15 or later.)
- **Severity:** Medium 5.4 (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:L/A:L)
- **Weakness:** CWE-862
- **Usage among sites WPSec scans:** plugin Low, affected versions Low (as of 2026-11-06)
- **Attack surface analysis:** https://attacksurface.wpsec.com/plugin/backupwordpress
- **Fix released:** 2026-11-05
- **Published:** 2026-11-06
- **URL:** https://wpsec.com/vuln/WPSEC-2026-2647/

## Description

The BackUpWordPress plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to unauthorized file deletion via the hmbkp_dismiss_error AJAX action in all versions up to, and including, 3.14, due to a missing capability check and missing nonce verification in the dismiss_error() function. The handler runs the backup directory cleanup routine, which deletes every file in the backups directory except .zip archives, index.html, the .files manifest and '-running' status files, and then clears the plugin's notices. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Subscriber-level access and above, to delete files in the backups directory, including the .htaccess file that protects stored backup archives and in-progress database dumps. This can break running backups and weaken the protection of the backup archives.

## References

- https://wpsec.com/vuln/WPSEC-2026-2647/
- https://plugins.svn.wordpress.org/backupwordpress/tags/3.15/
- https://wordpress.org/plugins/backupwordpress/

Source: WPSec, https://wpsec.com/vuln/WPSEC-2026-2647/

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.