CVE-2026-118989 in Product Import Export Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 10/29/2026
WebToffee Product Import Export for WooCommerce 2.5.1 before 2.6.8 contains a server-side request forgery vulnerability in download_remote_file that allows shop_manager users to reach internal services via redirects. Attackers can submit a .csv URL that returns an HTTP 302 redirect to an internal address, causing the server to fetch internal responses and return them as import data.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/29/2026
The WebToffee Product Import Export plugin for WooCommerce versions prior to 2.6.8 contains a critical Server-Side Request Forgery vulnerability within its download_remote_file function. This flaw arises from insufficient validation of user-supplied input when processing CSV files intended for product data importation. Specifically, the application fails to adequately restrict or verify the destination URLs during remote file retrieval operations. By submitting a maliciously crafted URL that points to an external resource configured to return an HTTP 302 redirect response pointing toward an internal network address, an authenticated attacker can manipulate the server into fetching content from local services that are otherwise inaccessible from the public internet. This mechanism effectively bypasses standard perimeter security controls by leveraging the application itself as a proxy for internal reconnaissance and data exfiltration.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability is classified under CWE-918 Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF). The core issue lies in the lack of strict allow-listing or rigorous validation of redirect targets within the download_remote_file routine. When the server processes the import request, it follows the HTTP redirects without verifying whether the final destination resides on a trusted internal network segment. This allows shop_manager level users to probe internal infrastructure by observing differences in response times, error messages, or content returned from various internal endpoints. The attacker can target common internal services such as database servers, administrative panels, cloud metadata services like AWS EC2 instance metadata, or other microservices running on the local host or within the private network range.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant for organizations relying on WooCommerce for e-commerce operations. While the initial access requires authentication at the shop_manager level, which limits the attack surface to users with specific privileges, it still represents a serious risk if those credentials are compromised through phishing, credential stuffing, or other means. Successful exploitation allows an attacker to map internal network topology, identify running services on non-standard ports, and potentially extract sensitive data from unprotected internal APIs. In environments where cloud metadata endpoints are accessible internally, this could lead to the compromise of instance-level secrets such as IAM credentials, further escalating privileges within the broader infrastructure.
This vulnerability aligns with MITRE ATT&CK technique T1598.002 Phishing for Information or Services and potentially T1647 Proof of Internal Access if used to demonstrate reachability of internal systems. It also relates to CWE-20 Improper Input Validation, as the application does not sufficiently sanitize or validate the redirect chain provided by the user. The exploitation path typically involves crafting a CSV file where one of the fields contains a URL pointing to an attacker-controlled server that issues a 302 redirect to an internal IP address such as 169.254.169.25 for cloud metadata or localhost addresses targeting local administrative interfaces.
Mitigation strategies should focus on immediate patching and defensive configuration updates. The primary remediation is to upgrade the WebToffee Product Import Export plugin to version 2.6.8 or later, where this vulnerability has been addressed by implementing stricter URL validation and redirect handling logic. Administrators should ensure that all plugins are kept up-to-date with security patches released by vendors. Additionally, network-level controls such as firewall rules can be implemented to restrict outbound HTTP requests from the web server application layer to only known external domains, thereby preventing SSRF attempts even if the code flaw persists temporarily. Input validation at the API level should also enforce allow-lists for permitted protocols and IP ranges during file import operations to prevent redirection to internal resources.