# CVE-2026-101889: Prime Mover WordPress plugin path traversal in wprime-config.json

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-101889-the-prime-mover-plugin-for-wordpress-before-2-2-1-contains-a  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-10-01. Updated: 2026-10-05  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-101889 · Severity: medium · CVSS 6.5 · Published 2026-10-01

Prime Mover is a WordPress backup and migration plugin that allows site administrators to transfer WordPress installations between servers and hosts. The plugin contains a path traversal vulnerability that allows authenticated administrators to delete arbitrary directories on the server by importing a malicious backup package, potentially removing critical WordPress files like wp-admin and rendering the entire website inoperable.

Technologies: [Codexonics Prime Mover](https://junglewise.ai/threats/technologies/prime-mover). Vendors: [Codexonics](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/codexonics).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-101889 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-101889 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-101889?** Medium severity, with a CVSS score of 6.5, published 1 October 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** Codexonics Prime Mover before 2.2.1.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-101889?** Yes: fixed in 2.2.1. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2026-101889 attacked?** It is attacked over the network.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-101889?** Check whether you run Codexonics Prime Mover at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## How to fix

- Fixed in 2.2.1

## Technical details

A path traversal vulnerability exists in the Prime Mover plugin's backup import functionality, specifically in the computeExtractVariables() and validateImportedSiteVsPackage() functions which fail to properly validate the tar_root_folder values in wprime-config.json. An authenticated administrator can craft a malicious WPRIME/TAR package with manipulated folder paths that bypass validation, causing the primeMoverDoDelete() function to delete directories outside the intended extraction path. This allows deletion of arbitrary directories including critical WordPress core directories.

## Affected products

- Codexonics Prime Mover before 2.2.1

## Timeline

- 2026-10-01: disclosed

## References

- [https://wordpress.org/plugins/prime-mover/](https://wordpress.org/plugins/prime-mover/)
- [https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/prime-mover-path-traversal-via-wprime-config-json](https://www.vulncheck.com/advisories/prime-mover-path-traversal-via-wprime-config-json)

## Related threats

- [Prime Mover stored cross-site scripting in package metadata](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-101890-the-prime-mover-plugin-for-wordpress-before-2-2-1-contains-a)
- [Prime Mover Zip Slip path traversal in ZIP import](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-101888-the-prime-mover-plugin-for-wordpress-before-2-2-1-contains-a-zip)