CVE-2026-5957
Arbitrary File Read in EmailKit WordPress Plugin
Publication date: 2026-05-05
Last updated on: 2026-05-05
Assigner: Wordfence
Description
Description
CVSS Scores
EPSS Scores
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Meta Information
Affected Vendors & Products
| Vendor | Product | Version / Range |
|---|---|---|
| emailkit | emailkit | to 1.6.5 (inc) |
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
| CWE ID | Description |
|---|---|
| CWE-22 | The product uses external input to construct a pathname that is intended to identify a file or directory that is located underneath a restricted parent directory, but the product does not properly neutralize special elements within the pathname that can cause the pathname to resolve to a location that is outside of the restricted directory. |
Attack-Flow Graph
AI Powered Q&A
Can you explain this vulnerability to me?
The EmailKit plugin for WordPress has a vulnerability called Arbitrary File Read in all versions up to 1.6.5. This happens because the plugin's create_template() method uses a flawed path traversal validation. Specifically, it calls realpath() on a base directory that might not exist, causing realpath() to return false. In PHP 8.x, this false value is implicitly converted to an empty string in a strpos() check, which then incorrectly passes the validation. As a result, authenticated users with Author-level access or higher can bypass the path validation and read any file on the server by providing an absolute path to the emailkit-editor-template REST API parameter.
How can this vulnerability impact me? :
This vulnerability allows attackers with Author-level access or higher to read arbitrary files on the server. This can lead to exposure of sensitive information such as configuration files (e.g., wp-config.php), which may contain database credentials and other critical data. Such unauthorized access can compromise the security of the website and its data.
How does this vulnerability affect compliance with common standards and regulations (like GDPR, HIPAA)?:
This vulnerability allows authenticated attackers with Author-level access to read arbitrary files on the server, including sensitive files such as wp-config.php.
Access to sensitive files could potentially expose personal or confidential data, which may lead to non-compliance with data protection standards and regulations such as GDPR or HIPAA.
However, the provided information does not explicitly describe the direct impact on compliance with these standards.