Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain
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AccessIdentify site running vulnerable plugin
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DeliverySend crafted request with traversal sequences
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ExploitEscape intended PDF directory
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ExecutionRead arbitrary server files
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ImpactExfiltrate sensitive data (wp-config.php)
Vulnerability Assessment
| Weakness |
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A01:2025 - Broken Access Control
ASVS 5.0
V5 - File Handling Path canonicalization, traversal prevention
MITRE ATT&CK
2 techniques across 2 tactics: Discovery, Collection The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up. |
| Exploitation Conditions | Exploitation requires that the 'Generate PDF using Contact Form 7' plugin (version 4.2.1 or earlier) be installed and active on a WordPress site, with its PDF generation/download endpoint reachable by unauthenticated remote requests. Per the CVSS vector (PR:N/UI:N), no authentication or user interaction is needed and no special non-default configuration is indicated in the available data; the practical limiting factor is simply the presence of this specific add-on, which has a comparatively small install base. Impact is bounded to file disclosure (C:H only) - no write/integrity or availability effect - so exploitation enables reading server files, not modifying them. |
| Impact | The CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N) describes a network-reachable, low-complexity, unauthenticated flaw requiring no user interaction, which maps to the base score of 7.5 driven entirely by confidentiality impact (C:H, I:N, A:N) - consistent with an arbitrary file download/read primitive rather than code execution or data tampering. The Patchstack reference title ('arbitrary file download vulnerability') corroborates this as a confidentiality-only path traversal. No EPSS probability, CISA KEV listing, or public POC is present in the supplied data, so there is no public exploit identified at time of analysis and no evidence of active exploitation; the elevated CVSS therefore reflects theoretical ease of exploitation, not demonstrated real-world attacks. Net assessment: a genuinely exploitable unauthenticated file-disclosure bug that warrants prompt patching where the plugin is deployed, but its real-world priority is tempered by the absence of exploitation signals (no KEV, no EPSS, no POC) and the niche footprint of this specific Contact Form 7 add-on. Note the single sourcing: all data traces to one Patchstack advisory, and affected versions ('n/a through 4.2.1') and a fixed version were not independently confirmed. |
| Exploit ScenarioDerived | A remote, unauthenticated attacker sends a crafted request to the plugin's PDF generation/download endpoint containing directory-traversal sequences (e.g. ../../) to escape the intended PDF directory and retrieve arbitrary server files such as wp-config.php, potentially disclosing database credentials and secret keys. No public exploit code is identified in the provided data, but the low attack complexity and lack of authentication (PR:N) make exploitation straightforward once the vulnerable endpoint is located. |
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Alert meAnalysisAIv1 – Oct 09, 2026
Unauthenticated path traversal in ZealousWeb's Generate PDF using Contact Form 7 WordPress plugin, affecting all releases through 4.2.1, lets a remote attacker read arbitrary files from the web server, an impact mirrored by the CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.5 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N, C:H/I:N/A:N - confidentiality only, no integrity or availability impact). Any WordPress site with this add-on installed, active, and reachable is exposed if its PDF generation/download endpoint accepts unauthenticated requests; the practical limiting factor is the plugin's comparatively small install base rather than any authentication or configuration barrier. At time of analysis no public exploit code has been identified and there is no CISA KEV listing, but the low-complexity, unauthenticated nature of the flaw makes it a natural candidate for automated mass scanning.
RemediationAI
No vendor-released patch is identified in the available intelligence: the only reference is Patchstack's advisory for the 4.2.1 arbitrary-file-download issue, which does not specify a fixed plugin release, so administrators should check that advisory page and the WordPress.org plugin page for the current version before assuming a fix exists. If no patched build is available, the most reliable action is to deactivate and delete the plugin until an update ships - the trade-off being the complete loss of CF7-to-PDF functionality, which is acceptable given the flaw is unauthenticated. If the feature is business-critical, compensate by fronting the site with a WAF or reverse-proxy rule that blocks traversal encodings (../, %2e%2e%2f, ..%5c, and double-encoded variants) on requests targeting the plugin's endpoints and by denying direct access to the plugin's download/generation URLs, accepting that encoding bypasses can slip through and that overly broad rules may break legitimate downloads. Additionally, run PHP as a least-privilege account whose read access excludes wp-config.php's siblings, backups, and system files, and log/monitor for anomalous file-read parameters - noting this only shrinks the blast radius and does not remove the vulnerability. Keep the plugin's own directory non-listable and review web server logs for traversal attempts in the interim.
Affected VersionsENISA
Affected Packages
Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)
Affects your stack
Affects 1 package in euvd
Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.
Technical ContextAI · show details
The flaw is a classic CWE-22 improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory, implemented in PHP within a third-party WordPress plugin that converts Contact Form 7 submissions into downloadable PDFs. Because the plugin constructs a filesystem path from request-supplied input to serve the generated (or template) document, the absence of proper canonicalization - realpath()/basename() normalization plus an allowlist confined to the plugin's own upload/temp directory - allows traversal sequences to escape the intended directory and reference files elsewhere on disk. The CVSS vector AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N confirms the attack surface is the network-facing HTTP endpoint with no credentials or user interaction required, and the bare N/I:N/A:N profile indicates a pure arbitrary-file-download/read primitive rather than code execution or data tampering. The supplied CPE (cpe:2.3:a:zealousweb:generate_pdf_using_contact_form_7:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*) uses a version wildcard, consistent with the vendor advisory scope covering every release from the initial version up to and including 4.2.1. Because the vulnerable code runs as the web server/PHP user, the reachable file set is bounded by that account's read permissions - typically wp-config.php, configuration files, and other site or system data readable by the web process - which is why C:H is the sole impact metric.
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Severity by source
AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
Unauthenticated remote request (AV:N/PR:N/UI:N) with low complexity triggers arbitrary file read, yielding high confidentiality impact but no integrity or availability effect.
Primary rating from Vendor (Patchstack).
CVSS VectorVendor: Patchstack
DescriptionCVE.org
Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory ('Path Traversal') vulnerability in ZealousWeb Generate PDF using Contact Form 7 generate-pdf-using-contact-form-7 allows Path Traversal.This issue affects Generate PDF using Contact Form 7: from n/a through 4.2.1.
Executive ViewAI
A high-severity flaw in ZealousWeb's 'Generate PDF using Contact Form 7' WordPress plugin (all versions through 4.2.1) allows an unauthenticated remote attacker to read arbitrary files from any web server hosting an active, internet-reachable copy of the plugin. Because the vulnerability requires no credentials or user interaction, any organization running this add-on should treat its WordPress sites as potentially readable by outsiders, exposing configuration files, credentials, and other sensitive data. Leadership should care because successful file disclosure can hand attackers the keys to further compromise, even though the plugin's limited install base means overall exposure across the enterprise is likely narrow and easily scoped.
No vendor-released patch identified at time of analysis. Interim mitigations: deactivate or remove the plugin on sites where PDF generation is not required; if it must remain, restrict the plugin's PDF generation/download endpoints to authenticated users and apply WAF or reverse-proxy rules that block path traversal sequences (including encoded variants); isolate affected WordPress hosts on segmented network zones, apply least-privilege file permissions, and monitor web server logs for traversal attempts against the plugin's endpoints.
Threat Intelligence Overview
How this decision was reached
The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.
What every action level means
SSVC AssessmentENISA
Priority Score
Attack Technique
Path traversal exploits occur when applications use user-controlled input to construct file system paths without proper validation.
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EUVD-2026-95625
GHSA-7q2v-r7jf-9734
NVD
CVE.org
EPSS
Vulnrichment
Exploit-DB