CVE-2026-121263 in MoTranslator
Summary
by MITRE • 11/03/2026
A vulnerability was determined in phpMyAdmin MoTranslator up to 6.0.1. The impacted element is the function Loader::getTranslator of the file motranslator-master/src/Loader.php. Executing a manipulation of the argument locale can lead to path traversal. The attack may be performed from remote. The exploit has been publicly disclosed and may be utilized. The vendor was contacted early about this disclosure but did not respond in any way.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 11/03/2026
The vulnerability identified within phpMyAdmin MoTranslator, specifically affecting versions up through 6.0.1, represents a critical security flaw rooted in improper input validation of the locale argument passed to the Loader::getTranslator function located in the motranslator-master/src/Loader.php file. This defect allows for path traversal attacks, which are categorized under CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory. The core technical issue arises from the application's failure to adequately sanitize or validate user-supplied input before using it to construct file paths. When an attacker provides a manipulated locale string containing directory traversal sequences such as dot-dot-slash, the underlying system resolves these characters and accesses files outside of the intended web root or application directory structure. This lack of strict boundary enforcement enables the remote execution context to read arbitrary files from the server's filesystem that would otherwise be inaccessible through normal operational means.
The operational impact of this vulnerability is significant due to its potential for information disclosure and further system compromise. Because the attack can be performed remotely, an unauthenticated attacker or a low-privileged user with access to the phpMyAdmin interface can exploit this flaw without needing prior authentication in some configurations, depending on how the MoTranslator plugin integrates with the broader application security model. By leveraging path traversal, attackers can read sensitive configuration files, source code containing hardcoded credentials, database connection strings, and other critical system data stored on the server. This exposure provides a foothold for more advanced attacks, including credential harvesting or further exploitation of related vulnerabilities within the phpMyAdmin ecosystem. The fact that this exploit has been publicly disclosed means that automated scanning tools and malicious actors are already aware of the specific code paths to target, increasing the likelihood of active exploitation in unpatched environments.
From a threat intelligence perspective, this vulnerability aligns with ATT&CK technique T1083: File and Directory Discovery, where adversaries use operating system utilities or application functions to enumerate files and directories on compromised systems. The ability to traverse paths effectively allows attackers to map out the server's file structure, identifying high-value targets for subsequent data exfiltration. Additionally, if the vulnerable function is used in a context that leads to local file inclusion, it could potentially escalate into T1059: Command Line and Scripting Interpreter or other execution-based techniques depending on how the included files are processed by the PHP engine. The vendor's lack of response to early disclosure efforts highlights a gap in security maintenance practices for this specific component, leaving users reliant on community-driven patches or manual mitigation strategies until an official update is released.
Mitigation strategies must focus on immediate remediation and defensive hardening since no official patch has been provided by the vendor as of the current knowledge cutoff. The most effective solution is to upgrade phpMyAdmin MoTranslator to a version that includes proper input validation for the locale parameter, ensuring that only expected alphanumeric characters or specific language codes are accepted while rejecting any path traversal sequences. If upgrading is not immediately feasible, administrators should restrict file system permissions so that the web server process has minimal read access outside of necessary application directories. Implementing Web Application Firewall rules to detect and block requests containing directory traversal patterns can also provide a layer of defense against exploitation attempts. Furthermore, disabling or uninstalling the MoTranslator plugin if it is not strictly required reduces the attack surface entirely. Regular security audits and monitoring for unusual file access logs are recommended to detect any potential exploitation activities in real-time.