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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesCVE-2022-31474 was an actively exploited, unauthenticated arbitrary-file-download vulnerability in the BackupBuddy WordPress plug-in. It affected versions 8.5.8.0 through 8.7.4.1; SolidWP/iThemes released the fix, version 8.7.5, on September 2, 2022. The incident is historical, so administrators should verify the vendor’s current release information before deciding whether an installation is patched today.
What happened
SolidWP/iThemes said it was notified of suspicious activity on September 2, 2022, and that the earliest exploits it had identified appeared to begin on August 27. Wordfence’s historical telemetry placed targeting one day earlier, on August 26. Those dates come from different investigations and should not be treated as a single confirmed start date.
Wordfence reported 4,948,926 blocked attack attempts through its September 7, 2022 advisory. That figure is Wordfence firewall telemetry, not a count of successful compromises or all attacks against BackupBuddy sites. Wordfence estimated about 140,000 active installations at the time; this was an estimate, not an audited or current installation total.
Using CVSS 3.1, Wordfence rated the issue 7.5 (High). Its description specifies unauthenticated access and high confidentiality impact, with no direct integrity or availability impact in the vector.
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Which BackupBuddy versions were vulnerable?
| BackupBuddy version | Status in the 2022 advisories |
|---|---|
| 8.5.8.0–8.7.4.1 | Vulnerable to CVE-2022-31474 |
| 8.7.5 | Release identified as the fix on September 2, 2022 |
| Later releases | Check SolidWP’s current release information; the historical advisories do not establish today’s latest version |
SolidWP/iThemes stated: “This vulnerability only impacts sites running BackupBuddy versions 8.5.8.0 through 8.7.4.1.” The vendor made the security update available to users of vulnerable releases regardless of licensing status and pushed auto-updates for iThemes Sync users.
How the flaw allowed file theft
BackupBuddy’s Local Directory Copy feature stores backup files on the server. Wordfence found that the local-download function was registered on WordPress’s admin_init hook without capability or nonce checks. The requested path was also insufficiently validated.
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Because the function could be reached through an unauthenticated administrative request, an attacker could submit an arbitrary path and download files readable by the WordPress process. This was a file-disclosure flaw, not a requirement to log in as an administrator.
What information could have been exposed?
The vendor warned that an attacker could read any file accessible to the WordPress installation, including wp-config.php and, depending on server configuration, /etc/passwd. Wordfence observed attempts involving .my.cnf and .accesshash. These are possible or observed targets; seeing a request does not prove that a file was successfully read or that every vulnerable site was compromised.
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A readable wp-config.php can contain database credentials, WordPress authentication salts, API keys and other secrets. Exposure of those values is a reason to rotate them, even when the available evidence does not establish successful exploitation.
How to check whether a site was targeted
Review web-server access logs covering the period from August 26–27, 2022 onward, or the earliest period for which logs remain available. The vendor and Wordfence identify these indicators:
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local-destination-idin a request, particularly alongside/etc/passwdorwp-config.php.- An HTTP 2xx response for a request containing those indicators.
local-downloador complete server file paths.- Directory-traversal sequences such as
../../.
These patterns warrant investigation. They do not, by themselves, show what response body was returned, whether credentials were used, or how far an attacker proceeded. Preserve relevant logs and involve an incident-response professional when the evidence is ambiguous or sensitive systems are involved.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What to do if a site may be affected
- Update BackupBuddy. Install 8.7.5 or a newer patched release after checking the vendor’s current release information. The 2022 advisory urged immediate updating.
- Inspect access logs. Search for the indicators above and retain copies before log rotation removes them.
- Rotate WordPress and database secrets. Reset the database password, change WordPress salts, and replace API keys and other secrets stored in
wp-config.php. - Check administrator accounts. Look for unfamiliar accounts, remove unauthorized users, and reset passwords for legitimate administrators.
- Assess database exposure. If the server exposed phpMyAdmin or connected to a publicly accessible database, the vendor recommended restoring from a backup predating the earliest logged access attempt. If that is impossible, engage a qualified site-cleanup or incident-response service.
- Harden self-managed servers. Consider changing SSH passwords and rotating the web user’s SSH keys.
Credential rotation and restoration reduce ongoing risk but are not a substitute for incident-specific forensic analysis. A compromised host may require malware review, broader account investigation and validation of backups before being returned to service.
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What the 2022 advisories establish—and what they do not
- Established: CVE-2022-31474 affected BackupBuddy 8.5.8.0–8.7.4.1 and enabled unauthenticated arbitrary file downloads through the local-download path.
- Established: Version 8.7.5 was the patch identified by SolidWP/iThemes and Wordfence Intelligence.
- Established: Attack attempts were observed in Wordfence telemetry during August and September 2022.
- Not established: The number of successful intrusions, the current exploitation level, or the current latest BackupBuddy release.
- Not established: That a particular log entry proves a file was exfiltrated or that every vulnerable installation was breached.
The Bottom Line
If a WordPress site ran BackupBuddy 8.5.8.0–8.7.4.1, treat it as potentially exposed: update to a currently supported patched release, investigate the specified log indicators, and rotate credentials and salts whenever compromise cannot be ruled out.
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