CVE-2026-113617 in Automated Import Products to Cart Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 10/29/2026
The Automated Import Products to Cart WordPress plugin before 1.0.4 does not sanitize a user-supplied file path before using it to read and delete files, allowing users with minimal permissions, such as subscribers, to read arbitrary files (including ones containing the database credentials) and delete arbitrary files on the server.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/29/2026
The vulnerability identified in the Automated Import Products to Cart WordPress plugin prior to version 1.0.4 represents a critical failure in input validation and access control mechanisms within the application's file handling logic. This flaw specifically stems from the absence of proper sanitization for user-supplied file paths that are passed as parameters during administrative or product import operations. When the plugin processes these inputs, it directly incorporates them into system commands used to read and delete files on the underlying server filesystem without verifying whether the requested path is within an allowed directory structure or if the requesting user has legitimate authority over those resources. This lack of validation creates a classic Path Traversal vulnerability, often categorized under CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory. By manipulating the input string with relative paths such as dot-dot-slash sequences, an attacker can escape the intended directory boundaries and access sensitive areas of the server's file system that were not meant to be exposed through this specific plugin functionality.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is severe due to its low privilege requirement for exploitation. The flaw allows users with minimal permissions, such as subscribers or even unauthenticated visitors depending on how the endpoint is configured, to interact directly with the operating system's file management capabilities. This capability enables two distinct and dangerous attack vectors: arbitrary file read and arbitrary file delete. In the context of web application security, the ability to read arbitrary files poses a significant risk to data confidentiality. Attackers can traverse up the directory tree from the WordPress installation root to access configuration files such as wp-config.php, which typically contains database credentials including usernames, passwords, and host information. Compromising these credentials allows for further lateral movement within the infrastructure or direct extraction of sensitive customer and business data stored in the associated database. Furthermore, the ability to delete arbitrary files introduces a risk to system integrity and availability. An attacker could target critical application files, configuration backups, or even core operating system binaries, potentially causing service disruption or rendering the WordPress instance unbootable until restored from backup.
This vulnerability aligns with several entries in the MITRE ATT&CK framework for enterprise security, particularly those related to collection and impact tactics. The unauthorized reading of sensitive files corresponds to techniques such as T1083: File and Directory Discovery, where adversaries explore the local file system to identify valuable data targets. Additionally, the deletion capability maps to T1485: Data Destruction, a technique used by threat actors to disrupt operations or cover their tracks by removing evidence or critical components of the target environment. The exploitation path typically involves crafting specific HTTP requests that include maliciously formatted parameters targeting the vulnerable endpoint within the plugin's codebase. Since WordPress plugins often run with the same privileges as the web server process, which may have elevated permissions depending on the hosting configuration, the blast radius of this vulnerability extends beyond just the application layer to potentially affect other services running on the same host if file system access controls are not strictly enforced at the OS level.
Mitigation strategies for this vulnerability must prioritize immediate remediation through software updates and robust defensive coding practices. The primary solution is to upgrade the Automated Import Products to Cart plugin to version 1.0.4 or later, where the developers have presumably implemented proper input sanitization and validation checks. For environments where updating is not immediately feasible, temporary mitigations should include restricting file system permissions so that the web server process has minimal necessary access rights, thereby limiting the scope of files an attacker can read or delete even if they successfully exploit the path traversal flaw. Implementing a Web Application Firewall with rules designed to detect and block common directory traversal patterns in HTTP parameters can also provide a layer of defense against exploitation attempts. Furthermore, administrators should audit plugin code for similar vulnerabilities by ensuring that all user inputs are strictly validated against allowlists rather than relying on blacklist approaches or simple sanitization functions that may be bypassed through encoding variations. Regular security audits and adherence to secure coding standards such as those outlined in the OWASP Top Ten will help prevent recurrence of such critical flaws in future development cycles.