What the vulnerability does
01Description
The AR for WooCommerce plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Directory Traversal in all versions up to, and including, 8.40 via the 'file' parameter parameter. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to read the contents of arbitrary files on the server, which can contain sensitive information. The three intended access controls all fail: valid nonces are freely minted by unauthenticated callers via the nopriv ar_get_fresh_nonce and ar_process_user_image AJAX handlers; the AES-256-CBC encryption key is derived from get_option('ar_licence_key'), which returns false on default free installations and yields a predictable key attackers can use to encrypt their own path payloads; and the Referer check is trivially bypassed because the Referer header is attacker-controlled.
Explanation of Vulnerability in Simple Terms
02Summary
AR for WooCommerce versions 8.40 and earlier contain a path traversal vulnerability that allows unauthenticated attackers to read arbitrary files from the server. An attacker can access sensitive files such as configuration files, database credentials, or other private data without needing to log in or interact with a user. This vulnerability requires only network access and can expose confidential information stored on the affected server.
What an attacker can do
03Attacker Capabilities
Read arbitrary files from the server, including configuration and credential files.
Potential impact on your site
04Site Impact
Sensitive files and credentials may be exposed to unauthorized access without warning.
Conditions required to exploit
05Prerequisites
Network access only; no authentication or user interaction required.
Key dates
06Disclosure timeline
July 3, 2026
CVE published
