CVE-2026-94238

Loco Translate <= 2.8.8 - Authenticated (Translator+) Limited File Read

2026-10-01 00:00
Shivamani Vastrala

Strategic Overview

Status
Patched in 2.8.9
Affected Plugin
Loco Translate
Affected Version
<= 2.8.8
CVSS
4.3Medium
Weakness type
CWE-22 · Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal')
CVE
CVE-2026-94238
View all Loco Translate vulnerabilities

At a glance

CVE-2026-94238 is a medium-severity Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') vulnerability in the Loco Translate WordPress plugin, affecting versions <= 2.8.8. It carries a CVSS score of 4.3 (reachable over the network; low attack complexity). Exploitation requires an authenticated account at Translator level or above. The issue is fixed in version 2.8.9; sites on affected versions should update now. Disclosed October 2026, reported by Shivamani Vastrala.

Vulnerability Overview

The Loco Translate plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Arbitrary File Read in all versions up to, and including, 2.8.8. This is due to insufficient validation of a user supplied path. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with translator-level access and above, to read translation files on the server.

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.

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

Reaching this weakness in Loco Translate <= 2.8.8 takes an account at Translator 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 Loco Translate the fix is 2.8.9: builds <= 2.8.8 are affected, anything from 2.8.9 onward is not.

Remediation

Update to version 2.8.9, or a newer patched version

How does WordSec protect against this?

An attacker needs Translator 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: Loco Translate 2.8.9 closes this, and updating the plugin is the step that ends it.

  • Firewall
  • Alerts

External References

https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-94238https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/59a238fc-6385-4389-898a-c044177e1e81https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-94238

Related records

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