Gotham Block Extra Light <= 1.5.0 - Authenticated (Contributor+) Arbitrary File Read via 'ghostban' Shortcode
Strategic Overview
- Status
- Patched in 1.6.0
- Affected Plugin
- Gotham Block Extra Light
- Affected Version
<= 1.5.0- CVSS
- 6.5Medium
- Weakness type
- CWE-22 · Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
- CVE
CVE-2025-15020
At a glance
CVE-2025-15020 is a medium-severity Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') vulnerability in the Gotham Block Extra Light WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 1.5.0. It carries a CVSS score of 6.5 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity; high confidentiality impact). Exploitation requires an authenticated account at Contributor level or above. The issue is fixed in version 1.6.0; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed January 2026, reported by 0x34rth.
Vulnerability Overview
The Gotham Block Extra Light plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Arbitrary File Read in all versions up to, and including, 1.5.0 via the 'ghostban' shortcode. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with contributor-level access and above, to read the contents of arbitrary files on the server, which can contain sensitive information.
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 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')
Gotham Block Extra Light <= 1.5.0 carries this weakness at ghostban, and reaching it takes an account at Contributor level or above. 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 Gotham Block Extra Light the fix is 1.6.0: builds <= 1.5.0 are affected, anything from 1.6.0 onward is not.
Remediation
Update to version 1.6.0, or a newer patched version
How does WordSec protect against this?
An attacker needs Contributor access first, so the firewall sees the attempt as traffic from a logged-in account: WordSec's web application firewall inspects request payloads before WordPress loads them. None of that substitutes for the fix: Gotham Block Extra Light 1.6.0 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.
- Firewall
- Alerts
External References
Related records
Other vulnerabilities in Gotham Block Extra Light
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