CVE-2020-11738
CVE-2020-11738 is a security flaw in WordPress Snap Creek Duplicator Plugin, the software behind about four in ten websites. Attackers can read files on WordPress Snap Creek Duplicator Plugin that should be out of reach. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) added it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks on 3 Nov 2021.[1]
WordPress Snap Creek Duplicator Plugin is in things households have, such as phones, computers, browsers and everyday apps, so the fix matters at home as much as at work. WordPress has published a fix or advice.
Description
CISA calls it a file download in WordPress Snap Creek Duplicator Plugin. In its words: “WordPress Snap Creek Duplicator plugin contains a file download vulnerability when an administrator creates a new copy of their site that allows an attacker to download the generated files from their Wordpress dashboard. This vulnerability affects Duplicator and Dulplicator Pro.”[1]
The underlying weakness is path traversal (CWE-22), in MITRE’s list of common software weaknesses.[2]
It scores 7.5 out of 10 on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System, which rates it high, scored by NVD using CVSS 3.1.[2]
Affected versions
NVD’s record doesn’t list version ranges for it; WordPress’s advisory has them[3]. CISA names the product as WordPress Snap Creek Duplicator Plugin.
Every device with WordPress Snap Creek Duplicator Plugin needs the update.
Exploitation
CISA added it to its catalog of known exploited vulnerabilities on 3 Nov 2021, 569 days after it was made public. CISA lists a flaw only when it has reliable evidence of it being exploited, and gave US federal agencies until 3 May 2022 to fix it.[1]
FIRST’s Exploit Prediction Scoring System, which estimates how likely a flaw is to be used in attacks in the next 30 days from what it sees across the internet, puts it at 98%. That’s in the top 1% of the flaws it scores.[4]
CISA assesses it as automatable: attackers can run it against many targets at once.
CISA doesn’t say who was attacked, or how.
Fix
WordPress has published a fix or advice.[3] CISA’s required action: “Apply updates per vendor instructions.”[1]
- Update WordPress Snap Creek Duplicator Plugin now.Install the latest update from WordPress on every device that has it, and restart when asked. Then turn on automatic updates, so the next fix arrives on its own.
- If there’s no update, stop using it.CISA’s advice when a flaw being used in attacks has no fix is to stop using the product until it does.
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| The flaw is made public in the National Vulnerability Database, with a severity score of 7.5.[2] | |
| CISA adds it to its catalog of flaws known to be used in attacks.[1] | |
| CISA’s deadline for US government agencies to fix it.[1] | |
| FIRST puts the odds of it being used in attacks in the next 30 days at 98%.[4] |
See also
Other WordPress flaws
- CVE-2026-87902, WordPress Core: remote file inclusion ·
- CVE-2026-63030, WordPress Core: interpretation conflict ·
- CVE-2026-60137, WordPress Core: SQL injection ·
- CVE-2020-25213, WordPress File Manager Plugin: remote code execution ·
- CVE-2019-9978, WordPress Social Warfare Plugin: cross-site scripting (XSS) ·
Other path traversal flaws
- CVE-2025-61624, Fortinet products: path traversal ·
- CVE-2021-3199, ONLYOFFICE Docs: server path traversal ·
- CVE-2026-104286, Fortinet FortiMail: path traversal ·
- CVE-2026-93616, Check Point products: path traversal ·
- CVE-2026-66384, JFrog Artifactory: improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory ·
Added the same day
- CVE-2021-42258, BQE BillQuick Web Suite: SQL injection ·
- CVE-2021-42013, Apache HTTP Server: path traversal ·
- CVE-2021-41773, Apache HTTP Server: path traversal ·
- CVE-2021-40539, Zoho ManageEngine: aDSelfService plus authentication bypass ·
- CVE-2021-40444, Microsoft MSHTML: remote code execution ·
Every WordPress flaw on CISA’s list · Everything added in November 2021
References
- ^ Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. “WordPress Snap Creek Duplicator Plugin File Download Vulnerability”. Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog, added 3 Nov 2021.
- ^ National Institute of Standards and Technology. “CVE-2020-11738 Detail”. National Vulnerability Database, published 13 Apr 2020.
- ^ WordPress. Advisories and fixes: snapcreek.com.
- ^ FIRST. “Exploit Prediction Scoring System”. EPSS 0.978, percentile 99.9, 31 Oct 2026.
- CVE Program. “CVE-2020-11738”. The official CVE record.
This article is built from CISA’s catalog (version 2026.10.30), NVD’s record and FIRST’s scores, kept in HARD’s database and checked every morning. The plain English is HARD’s.