CVE-2016-6896

HIGH

WordPress Traversal Directory DoS

Title source: metasploit
STIX 2.1

Exploitation Summary

EIP tracks 2 public exploits for CVE-2016-6896. PoCs published by Yorick Koster, Yorick Koster, CryptisStudents, including Metasploit module auxiliary/dos/http/wordpress_directory_traversal_dos.

AI-analyzed exploit summary The exploit demonstrates a path traversal vulnerability in WordPress Core Ajax handlers, specifically in the wp_ajax_update_plugin() function. It allows an authenticated user (Subscriber) to trigger a denial of service (DoS) by exhausting the entropy pool via repeated reads from /dev/random.

Description

Directory traversal vulnerability in the wp_ajax_update_plugin function in wp-admin/includes/ajax-actions.php in WordPress 4.5.3 allows remote authenticated users to cause a denial of service or read certain text files via a .. (dot dot) in the plugin parameter to wp-admin/admin-ajax.php, as demonstrated by /dev/random read operations that deplete the entropy pool.

Exploits (2)

exploitdb WORKING POC VERIFIED
by Yorick Koster · textwebappsphp
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/40288

The exploit demonstrates a path traversal vulnerability in WordPress Core Ajax handlers, specifically in the wp_ajax_update_plugin() function. It allows an authenticated user (Subscriber) to trigger a denial of service (DoS) by exhausting the entropy pool via repeated reads from /dev/random.

Classification
Working Poc 100%
Attack Type
Dos
Complexity
Trivial
Reliability
Reliable
Target: WordPress 4.5.3
Auth required
Prerequisites: Authenticated user (Subscriber) credentials · Access to wp-admin/admin-ajax.php
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →
metasploit WORKING POC
by Yorick Koster, CryptisStudents · rubypoc
https://github.com/rapid7/metasploit-framework/blob/master/modules/auxiliary/dos/http/wordpress_directory_traversal_dos.rb

This Metasploit module exploits a CSRF vulnerability in WordPress before 4.6 to perform a directory traversal DoS attack by sending multiple requests to read /dev/random, causing service disruption.

Classification
Working Poc 95%
Attack Type
Dos
Complexity
Moderate
Reliability
Reliable
Target: WordPress before 4.6
Auth required
Prerequisites: Valid WordPress username and password · Target running WordPress < 4.6
devstral-2 · analyzed Feb 16, 2026 Full analysis →

References (5)

Core 5
Core References
Third Party Advisory, VDB Entry vdb-entry x_refsource_sectrack
http://www.securitytracker.com/id/1036683
Exploit, Third Party Advisory exploit x_refsource_exploit-db
https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/40288/
Mailing List, Third Party Advisory mailing-list x_refsource_mlist
http://www.openwall.com/lists/oss-security/2016/08/20/1
Exploit, Technical Description, Third Party Advisory x_refsource_misc
https://sumofpwn.nl/advisory/2016/path_traversal_vulnerability_in_wordpress_core_ajax_handlers.html
Third Party Advisory x_refsource_misc
https://wpvulndb.com/vulnerabilities/8606

Scores

CVSS v3 7.1
EPSS 0.3518
EPSS Percentile 97.2%
Attack Vector NETWORK
CVSS:3.0/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:N/A:H

Details

CWE
CWE-22
Status published
Products (1)
wordpress/wordpress 4.5.3
Published Jan 18, 2017
Tracked Since Feb 18, 2026