What the vulnerability does
01Description
The EmailKit plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Arbitrary File Read in all versions up to and including 1.6.5. This is due to a flawed path traversal validation in the create_template() method of the CheckForm class, where realpath() is called on the allowed base directory (wp-content/uploads/emailkit/templates/) which may not exist, causing it to return false. In PHP 8.x, strpos($real_path, false) implicitly converts false to an empty string, and strpos() with an empty needle always returns 0, causing the check strpos(...) !== 0 to evaluate to false and bypassing the path validation entirely. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Author-level access and above, to read arbitrary files from the server, including sensitive files such as wp-config.php, by supplying an absolute path to the emailkit-editor-template REST API parameter.
Explanation of Vulnerability in Simple Terms
02Summary
EmailKit for WooCommerce & WordPress contains a path traversal vulnerability in versions up to 1.6.5. An authenticated user with low privileges can read arbitrary files from the server by manipulating file paths. This allows access to sensitive configuration files and other data outside the intended directory structure. Update to a version newer than 1.6.5 to resolve this issue.
What an attacker can do
03Attacker Capabilities
Read arbitrary files from the server, including configuration files and sensitive data.
Potential impact on your site
04Site Impact
Sensitive files like wp-config.php and database credentials could be exposed to authenticated users.
Conditions required to exploit
05Prerequisites
Attacker must have a low-privilege WordPress user account (e.g., subscriber or contributor).
Key dates
06Disclosure timeline
May 5, 2026
CVE published
May 6, 2026
Record updated
