CVE-2026-14490 — Demi <= 0.0.6 - Unauthenticated Arbitrary Directory Deletion via demi_restore_step AJAX action
The Demi – One Click Demo Import, WP Backup & Site Migration plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Arbitrary Directory Deletion in all versions up to, and including, 0.0.7. The vulnerability exists because the plugin stores its HMAC signing key and per-step restore token as dotfiles inside a publicly accessible subdirectory of the WordPress uploads folder — without any `.htaccess` or index file protection — and the `demi_restore_step` AJAX handler, registered for unauthenticated callers, explicitly accepts possession of the on-disk signing key as a standalone alternative to WordPress capability and nonce checks; an unauthenticated attacker who retrieves the exposed key can forge a valid signed state envelope to invoke `CleanDir::execute()` with a caller-supplied absolute path that is subject to no allow-list or path-canonicalization check. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to recursively delete arbitrary directories on the server.
Who exploits it and how urgent it is
A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.
How the score was calculated
- Technical severity (high)+6
- Automatable exploitation (SSVC)+3
The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).
Triage
Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.
CISA SSVC assessment CISA
Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses (SSVC 2.0.3). A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.
Remediation
Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.
No fix documented by the sources we poll. That does not mean none exists: check the vendor advisory.
First 24 hours
Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.
- Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Deveasel Demi – One Click Demo Import, Backup & Site Migration).
- The attack is network-based and needs no privileges: restrict exposure (ACLs, VPN, WAF) until patched.
- No fix documented in the sources: reduce exposure and monitor the vendor advisory.
- Search available logs for exploit probes matching the vulnerability class (file handling), errors and authentication anomalies.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deveasel | Demi – One Click Demo Import, Backup & Site Migration | ≤ 0.0.7 | Vulnerable | CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
Attack characteristics
The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.
Every base score collected
Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.
| Score | Version | Severity | Expl. | Impact | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.5 | CVSS 3.1 | High | 3.9 | 3.6 | security@wordfence.com via NIST National Vulnerability Database |
| 7.5 | CVSS 3.1 | High | — | — | Wordfence via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N (score shown at the top: security@wordfence.com) Weakness MITRE
Weakness class according to MITRE’s CWE catalog.
Detection
Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.
- Prioritize edge telemetry for the network-reachable component (proxy, WAF, IDS/IPS).
- Monitor file creation in web directories and paths with traversal sequences (../).
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- Affected products added · deveasel/demi – one click demo import, backup & site migration
- SSVC assessment updated
- Record published
- CVSS changed · 7.5
- Source status changed · → Deferred
- Record created in this database
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 15, 2026 – Oct 15, 2026
References
10 on the record
- plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/demi-backup-migration/tags/0.0.6/classes/Import/Manager.php
- plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/demi-backup-migration/tags/0.0.6/classes/Import/Manager.php
- plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/demi-backup-migration/trunk/classes/Import/Manager.php
- plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset
- plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/demi-backup-migration/tags/0.0.6/classes/Import/Manager.php
- plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/demi-backup-migration/tags/0.0.6/classes/Backup/Tasks/CleanDi
- plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/demi-backup-migration/trunk/classes/Import/Manager.php
- www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/63922c28-0cb5-4abe-85ee-20b2cc6f015d
- plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/demi-backup-migration/trunk/classes/Backup/Tasks/CleanDir.php
- plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/demi-backup-migration/trunk/classes/Import/Manager.php
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
- Medium CVE-2026-15012 Demi <= 0.0.8 - Unauthenticated Information Exposure to Arbitrary Directory Copy Jul 28, 2026
Not in any source we poll
Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.
- No FIRST EPSS score.
- No fixed version, patch or mitigation documented.
- No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
- No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
- No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.
Answered from this record
Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.
What should defenders know first?
CVE-2026-14490 is "Demi <= 0.0.6 - Unauthenticated Arbitrary Directory Deletion via demi_restore_step AJAX action", rated High. It affects Demi – One Click Demo Import, Backup & Site Migration (Deveasel); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 7.5 describes technical severity. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.
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