CVE-2026-73181 in Extra Product Options Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 08/18/2026
Unauthenticated Arbitrary File Download in Extra Product Options & Add-Ons for WooCommerce < 7.6 versions.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 08/18/2026
The vulnerability identified as an unauthenticated arbitrary file download within the Extra Product Options and Add-Ons plugin for WordPress, specifically affecting versions prior to 7.6, represents a critical security flaw that allows attackers to access sensitive files on the targeted web server without requiring any form of authentication. This type of vulnerability falls squarely under the Common Weakness Enumeration category CWE-200, which defines an information exposure where an attacker can gain insight into otherwise protected areas of a system or application. In this specific context, the flaw stems from insufficient input validation and sanitization mechanisms within the plugin's handling of file path parameters. When users interact with product configuration options on WooCommerce-enabled websites, the backend processes these inputs to retrieve associated files such as images, documents, or other assets. However, due to a lack of proper boundary checks against directory traversal sequences like dot-dot-slash (../), an attacker can manipulate these input fields to redirect file retrieval operations outside the intended web root directory.
From a technical perspective, this vulnerability exploits the way PHP and many web servers resolve relative paths when serving static content or processing dynamic requests for downloadable assets. By injecting carefully crafted path traversal strings into parameters that are passed directly to file inclusion functions without adequate filtering, an attacker can navigate up the server's directory structure. This capability enables the reading of arbitrary files located in directories that should remain inaccessible via public HTTP requests. The impact is severe because it allows unauthorized access to configuration files containing database credentials, source code repositories with proprietary logic, environment variable files exposing API keys and secrets, or even system-level configuration files depending on the server's permissions and operating system architecture. This effectively bypasses standard web application firewalls and authentication layers since no login credentials are required to initiate the attack vector.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple data leakage. If an attacker successfully retrieves sensitive configuration files such as wp-config.php, they may obtain database usernames and passwords, which can lead to full database compromise or further lateral movement within the network infrastructure. Additionally, access to source code allows for deeper analysis of application logic, potentially revealing additional vulnerabilities that were not previously known. This scenario aligns with several tactics in the MITRE ATT&CK framework, particularly T1083 File and Directory Discovery, where adversaries explore local file systems to gather intelligence necessary for subsequent exploitation phases. It also relates to T1530 Data from Local System Retrieval, as the attacker is extracting data directly from the host system's storage rather than through network-based exfiltration alone.
Mitigation strategies must be implemented immediately by administrators of websites running this plugin version. The primary and most effective remediation step is to upgrade the Extra Product Options & Add-Ons for WooCommerce plugin to version 7.6 or later, where the developers have addressed these input validation flaws. Until an update can be applied, temporary mitigations include restricting file access through web server configuration rules such as Apache's mod_rewrite or Nginx location blocks that deny requests containing path traversal sequences. Furthermore, implementing strict Content Security Policy headers and ensuring that sensitive directories are not publicly accessible via the web root can reduce the blast radius of this vulnerability. Regular security audits and penetration testing should be conducted to identify similar input handling weaknesses in other plugins and custom code modules within the WordPress ecosystem, as unauthenticated file inclusion remains a persistent threat vector for content management systems with extensive plugin architectures.