CVE-2026-14327

AR for WordPress <= 8.40 - Unauthenticated Arbitrary File Read via 'file' Parameter

2026-07-02 12:02
CHOIGYEONGMIN

Strategic Overview

Status
Patched in 8.41
Affected Plugin
AR for WordPress
Affected Version
<= 8.40
CVSS
7.5High
Weakness type
CWE-22 · Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
CVE
CVE-2026-14327
View all AR for WordPress vulnerabilities

At a glance

CVE-2026-14327 is a high-severity Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') vulnerability in the AR for WordPress WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 8.40. It carries a CVSS score of 7.5 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity; high confidentiality impact). Exploitation requires no authentication. The issue is fixed in version 8.41; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed July 2026, reported by CHOIGYEONGMIN.

Vulnerability Overview

The AR for WordPress 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. Exploitation requires an attacker to first obtain a valid nonce and secure nonce via the publicly accessible ar_get_fresh_nonce and ar_process_user_image nopriv AJAX handlers, and to reproduce the encryption key locally — both steps are fully achievable by an unauthenticated attacker on any default free or unlicensed installation where ar_licence_key is unset.

Technical Analysis

The vector marks this flaw as remotely reachable over the network, with low attack complexity — no special timing or configuration is needed, and no privileges on the target site, and no interaction from a victim user. A successful exploit has high impact on confidentiality.

CWE-22: Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')

AR for WordPress <= 8.40 carries this weakness at file, and reaching it takes no account at all. Path traversal happens when user-controlled text is used to build a filesystem path without being constrained to an intended directory, so sequences like ../ walk the resolved path somewhere else.

Depending on the operation, it means reading files outside the intended folder — wp-config.php being the usual target — or writing to and deleting paths the web server can touch. For AR for WordPress the fix is 8.41: builds <= 8.40 are affected, anything from 8.41 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 8.41, or a newer patched version

How does WordSec protect against this?

Requests carrying this pattern arrive without a session, so nothing upstream of the firewall gets a chance to reject them: WordSec's web application firewall inspects request payloads before WordPress loads them. None of that substitutes for the fix: AR for WordPress 8.41 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

  • Firewall
  • Login Security
  • Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-14327https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/cfa375a8-ab07-45da-bc77-1e7edc996e05https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-14327

Related records

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