Swim Team - Path Traversal (CVE-2015-5471)

CVE-2015-5471 is an absolute path traversal vulnerability in the Swim Team plugin for WordPress, specifically in the download.php script. This flaw allows remote attackers to read arbitrary files on the server by manipulating the file parameter, potentially exposing sensitive information and configuration data.

CrowdSec has been tracking this vulnerability and its exploits since 11th of February 2026.

Insights from the CrowdSec network reveal that the attackers trying to exploit CVE-2015-5471 are composed of a fairly even mix of opportunistic and targeted actors. Some attackers employ preliminary reconnaissance, while others use indiscriminate scanning. Additionally, according to week-over-week analysis by CrowdSec, exploitation of CVE-2015-5471 is surging. Attack volumes are spiking well above historical norms, indicating widespread and escalating interest from threat actors. CVE-2015-5471 is currently experiencing high visibility and active exploitation across the internet.

Attackers exploit this vulnerability by sending requests to /wp-content/plugins/wp-swimteam/include/user/download.php with crafted file parameters to retrieve arbitrary files from the server.