CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2026-103896NVD status: Deferred

10Web Booster – Website speed optimization…: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory

Published Updated By the CyberSecBulletin desk

CVE-2026-103896 is a high-severity improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory vulnerability in 10Web Booster – Website speed optimization, Cache & Page Speed optimizer from 10Web, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.5 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an unauthenticated attacker, without any action from a user. Affected 10Web Booster – Website speed optimization, Cache & Page Speed optimizer versions: 2.34.5 and earlier. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.46% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.

Next patch cycle

High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.

What to do

  1. Check which version of 10Web Booster – Website speed optimization, Cache & Page Speed optimizer you run against the affected versions below, and install the vendor's latest release.
  2. Until you can update, restrict network access to the affected service so it is not reachable from untrusted networks.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
10web10Web Booster – Website speed optimization, Cache & Page Speed optimizer2.34.5 and earlierNot stated

Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.

How the severity score breaks down

Attack vector
NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
Attack complexity
LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
Privileges required
NoneNo account or login is needed.
User interaction
NoneNo action by a victim is required.
Scope
UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
Confidentiality
NoneNo data is disclosed.
Integrity
HighData or code can be modified at will.
Availability
NoneAvailability is not affected.

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:H/A:N. Scored by CNA (wordfence.com).

Official description

The 10Web Booster – Website speed optimization, Cache & Page Speed optimizer plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to a limited file write via path traversal in versions up to, and including, 2.34.5 This is due to the OptimizerWebPageCache::get_cache_file_dir() function concatenating raw, unsanitized $_GET parameter names and values into the on-disk cache path, and the cache_content() sink calling mkdir() and file_put_contents() on the result with no realpath containment check — unlike the sibling delete_page_cache(), which does perform one. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to create arbitrary directories (mode 0777, recursively) outside the cache root and write a cached page into them. The write is LIMITED: the filename is always 'source.html', so the extension is fixed, and the content is the rendered page buffer rather than attacker-supplied data. PHP files cannot be written and code execution is not possible; the demonstrated impact is cache poisoning and arbitrary directory creation.

Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.

The underlying weakness: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory

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.

How developers prevent this class of flaw

  • For any security checks that are performed on the client side, ensure that these checks are duplicated on the server side, in order to avoid CWE-602. Attackers can bypass the client-side checks by modifying values after the checks have been performed, or by changing the client to remove the client-side checks entirely. Then, these modified values would be submitted to the server.
  • Use a vetted library or framework that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid.
  • Use an application firewall that can detect attacks against this weakness. It can be beneficial in cases in which the code cannot be fixed (because it is controlled by a third party), as an emergency prevention measure while more comprehensive software assurance measures are applied, or to provide defense in depth.

More Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory vulnerabilities (CWE-22)

Timeline

  1. CVE record published.
  2. CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: yes, technical impact: partial).

References

Other vulnerabilities in 10Web Booster – Website speed optimization, Cache & Page Speed optimizer

All 10Web Booster – Website speed optimization, Cache & Page Speed optimizer vulnerabilities

Recent Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory vulnerabilities

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