CVE-2026-17604

Kirki <= 6.1.1 - Authenticated (Editor+) Path Traversal to Arbitrary File Read via 'data' Parameter

2026-08-15 17:49
Wordfence PRISM

Strategic Overview

Status
Patched in 6.2.0
Affected Plugin
Kirki – Freeform Page Builder, Website Builder & Customizer
Affected Version
<= 6.1.1
CVSS
4.9Medium
Weakness type
CWE-22 · Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
CVE
CVE-2026-17604
View all Kirki – Freeform Page Builder, Website Builder & Customizer vulnerabilities

At a glance

CVE-2026-17604 is a medium-severity Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') vulnerability in the Kirki WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 6.1.1. It carries a CVSS score of 4.9 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity; high confidentiality impact). Exploitation requires an authenticated account at Editor level or above. The issue is fixed in version 6.2.0; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed August 2026, reported by Wordfence PRISM.

Vulnerability Overview

The Kirki – Freeform Page Builder, Website Builder & Customizer plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Directory Traversal in all versions up to, and including, 6.1.1 via the 'data' parameter parameter. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with editor-level access and above, to read the contents of arbitrary files on the server, which can contain sensitive information. The intended strpos()-based guard against leaving the uploads directory is bypassed by crafting a URL that includes the uploads base path as a substring while embedding directory traversal sequences, such as /wp-content/uploads/../../wp-config.php.

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')

Kirki <= 6.1.1 carries this weakness at data, and reaching it takes an account at Editor 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 Kirki the fix is 6.2.0: builds <= 6.1.1 are affected, anything from 6.2.0 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 6.2.0, or a newer patched version

How does WordSec protect against this?

An attacker needs Editor 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: Kirki 6.2.0 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

  • Firewall
  • Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-17604https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/d8ecb2c6-c2d0-44b0-b9c2-4fcbc0f97632https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-17604

Related records

Vulnerability data © Defiant, Inc., provided under the Wordfence Intelligence T&C