CVE-2026-42696: SiteVault remote code execution vulnerability

critical 10.0 published 2026-10-10 · updated 2026-10-13

Affected versions: 1.5.19 and older
Fixed in: 1.5.20
Latest version: 1.5.20
Severity: Critical · CVSS 10.0
Active installs: 40+
Type: Remote code execution

What an attacker needs

Access: None. No account or login is needed (per the CVSS score).

CVSS vector (score by Patchstack): CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H

What to do now

Update SiteVault to 1.5.20 or newer: Dashboard → Updates, or Plugins → “update now”.
If you cannot update right away, deactivate it until you can.
Turn on auto-updates for it: Plugins → “Enable auto-updates” on its row.
Not sure which version you run? Check your version against every known SiteVault issue. With WP-CLI: wp plugin get sitevault-backup-restore-migration --field=version.
If you ran an affected version and something looks off (new admin users, spam pages, redirects), run the free scan below.

The advisory

Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection') vulnerability in Royal Plugins SiteVault – Backup, Restore, Migration & Cloning sitevault-backup-restore-migration allows Remote Code Inclusion.This issue affects SiteVault – Backup, Restore, Migration & Cloning: from n/a through 1.5.19.

Description from the CVE record, published by Patchstack (the CVE Numbering Authority), via the NVD entry for CVE-2026-42696.

References

NVD CVE-2026-42696 nvd.nist.gov
Patchstack advisory patchstack.com

Ran an affected version? Check your site for signs of a hack

The free scan reads the public side of your site and looks for spam pages, hidden redirects, injected scripts and blacklist entries. No login, no install, about a minute.

Where this data comes from

CVE record, score and references: NIST National Vulnerability Database (NVD), checked 2026-11-04. This product uses data from the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD.
Versions and install counts: wordpress.org/plugins/sitevault-backup-restore-migration (Plugins API), fetched 2026-11-04.
The summary, “what an attacker needs” and “what to do” sections are our plain-English reading of the record and the plugin's release history; the quoted description is the record's own text. Spot an error? Email Daniel.