CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2026-116617NVD status: Deferred

Motors – Car Dealership & Classified Listings…: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory

Published Updated By the CyberSecBulletin desk

CVE-2026-116617 is a high-severity improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory vulnerability in Motors – Car Dealership & Classified Listings Plugin from Stylemix, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.1 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an attacker with a low-privileged account, without any action from a user. Affected Motors – Car Dealership & Classified Listings Plugin versions: 1.4.128 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 0.49% 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 Motors – Car Dealership & Classified Listings Plugin you run against the affected versions below, and install the vendor's latest release.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
StylemixMotors – Car Dealership & Classified Listings Plugin1.4.128 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
LowA basic user account is enough.
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
HighThe component can be taken down completely.

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

Official description

The Motors – Car Dealership & Classified Listings Plugin plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to File Deletion in all versions up to, and including, 1.4.128 The vulnerability exists because `stm_save_user_extra_fields()`, hooked to `personal_options_update`, writes the attacker-controlled `stm_dealer_logo_path` parameter directly to user meta without an ownership check binding the submitted path to the submitting user — unlike the `stm_payment_status` and `stm_lost_password_hash` fields, this field is not gated by a `manage_options` or `edit_users` capability check. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Subscriber-level access and above, to delete image files belonging to other users under `wp-content/uploads` — including other users' avatars, dealer logos, and uploaded media — by storing a crafted path via their own profile and then triggering `unlink()` through the become-dealer form on their author page. Note that the two path guards (`stm_mvl_is_path_within_uploads` and `stm_mvl_is_allowed_image_file`) do restrict the attack surface to files with an image extension that resolve within the uploads basedir; files outside that directory, such as `wp-config.php` or plugin PHP files, cannot be reached.

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: no, technical impact: partial).

References

Other vulnerabilities in Motors – Car Dealership & Classified Listings Plugin

All Motors – Car Dealership & Classified Listings Plugin vulnerabilities

Recent Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory vulnerabilities

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