CVE-2026-6382: WordPress File Manager RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2026-6382 Overview

CVE-2026-6382 is an OS Command Injection vulnerability affecting four popular WordPress file management plugins: FileOrganizer, Advanced File Manager, File Manager Pro, and File Manager. The plugins fail to properly escape a parameter before passing it to a shell command during image processing operations. Authenticated users can inject arbitrary operating system commands that execute in the context of the web server process. Exploitation requires the server to have the ImageMagick convert CLI available without the PHP imagick or GD extensions installed. The vulnerability carries a CVSS 3.1 base score of 9.1 and was published on July 6, 2026.

Critical Impact
Authenticated attackers can execute arbitrary OS commands on the underlying web server, leading to full site compromise and potential lateral movement.

Affected Products

FileOrganizer WordPress plugin before 1.1.9
Advanced File Manager WordPress plugin before 5.4.12
File Manager Pro WordPress plugin before 2.1.1
File Manager WordPress plugin before 8.0.4

Discovery Timeline

2026-07-06 - CVE-2026-6382 published to NVD
2026-07-06 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2026-6382

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability affects the image processing code paths in four related WordPress file manager plugins. When a user requests an image operation such as resizing or format conversion, the plugin builds a shell command that invokes the ImageMagick convert binary. User-controlled input is concatenated into this command string without proper shell escaping. An authenticated attacker can inject shell metacharacters to break out of the intended argument and execute arbitrary commands as the web server user.

The attack surface is gated by server configuration. The vulnerable code path only executes when the PHP imagick and GD extensions are both absent, causing the plugin to fall back to the convert CLI. On servers meeting this condition, exploitation results in full remote code execution under the web server account.

Root Cause

The root cause is missing input sanitization before invoking a shell process. The affected plugins pass parameters into a command string executed by a shell interpreter without applying escapeshellarg() or equivalent escaping. This maps to Command Injection through improper neutralization of special elements used in an OS command.

Attack Vector

An authenticated WordPress user with access to the plugin's image handling functionality submits a crafted parameter containing shell metacharacters such as backticks, semicolons, or $() command substitution. When the plugin constructs the convert command, the injected characters are interpreted by the shell. The resulting process runs with the privileges of the PHP-FPM or Apache worker, providing a foothold for further post-exploitation activity. See the WPScan Vulnerability Report for additional technical context.

Detection Methods for CVE-2026-6382

Indicators of Compromise

Unexpected child processes of php-fpm, apache2, httpd, or www-data spawning sh, bash, or convert with unusual arguments
Outbound network connections initiated by the web server user to unfamiliar hosts following image upload or processing requests
New or modified PHP files under wp-content/uploads/ or plugin directories after image operations
Web server access logs showing image processing endpoints of the affected plugins with parameters containing ;, |, `, $(, or newline-encoded payloads

Detection Strategies

Inspect WordPress request logs for POST requests to endpoints belonging to FileOrganizer, Advanced File Manager, File Manager Pro, or File Manager that include image operation parameters with shell metacharacters
Deploy process ancestry monitoring to flag convert invocations that spawn secondary shell processes
Correlate authenticated WordPress sessions with anomalous command execution on the underlying host

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable auditd or equivalent syscall logging on WordPress hosts to capture execve events from the web server user
Forward WordPress and web server logs to a centralized SIEM for correlation with host process telemetry
Alert on any shell process created by the web server account when its command line contains user-supplied parameters from HTTP requests

How to Mitigate CVE-2026-6382

Immediate Actions Required

Update FileOrganizer to 1.1.9 or later, Advanced File Manager to 5.4.12 or later, File Manager Pro to 2.1.1 or later, and File Manager to 8.0.4 or later
Audit WordPress user accounts with access to file manager plugins and remove unnecessary privileges
Review web server and PHP process logs for evidence of prior exploitation attempts

Patch Information

The vendors released fixed versions that properly escape parameters before invoking the ImageMagick convert CLI. Administrators should apply the fixed versions listed in the Affected Products section through the WordPress plugin update mechanism. Refer to the WPScan Vulnerability Report for vendor advisory details.

Workarounds

Install and enable the PHP imagick or GD extension, which forces the plugin away from the vulnerable convert CLI code path
Restrict access to the affected plugins to trusted administrator accounts only until patches are applied
Remove or disable the ImageMagick convert binary from the PATH of the web server user if in-process image libraries are available
Deploy a web application firewall rule to block shell metacharacters in image operation parameters submitted to the affected plugin endpoints

bash

# Configuration example: update affected plugins via WP-CLI
wp plugin update fileorganizer advanced-file-manager file-manager-pro wp-file-manager
wp plugin list --status=active --fields=name,version