CVE-2015-20125: Aspose PDF Exporter Path Traversal Flaw

CVE-2015-20125 Overview

CVE-2015-20125 is a path traversal vulnerability [CWE-22] in the Aspose PDF Exporter plugin for WordPress before version 2.0. The plugin's aspose_pdf_exporter_download.php script passes the user-controlled file parameter directly to PHP's readfile() function without sanitization. Unauthenticated attackers can send a GET request containing directory traversal sequences to read arbitrary files from the web server. A common target is wp-config.php, which exposes WordPress database credentials and secret keys. The Shadowserver Foundation first observed exploitation attempts on 2023-10-19.

Critical Impact

Unauthenticated remote attackers can read arbitrary files on the WordPress host, including wp-config.php, enabling full database compromise and site takeover.

Affected Products

• Aspose PDF Exporter plugin for WordPress — all versions before 2.0
• WordPress installations with the vulnerable plugin active
• Any hosting environment exposing the plugin's aspose_pdf_exporter_download.php endpoint

Discovery Timeline

• 2023-10-19 - Exploitation activity first observed by the Shadowserver Foundation
• 2026-10-20 - CVE-2015-20125 published to the NVD
• 2026-10-22 - Last updated in the NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2015-20125

Vulnerability Analysis

The Aspose PDF Exporter plugin exposes a download handler at aspose_pdf_exporter_download.php. The script accepts a file query parameter and passes it directly to readfile(). No authentication check, nonce validation, or path normalization occurs before the file is read and streamed to the client. An attacker can supply traversal sequences such as ../../../wp-config.php to escape the intended plugin directory. The server then returns the contents of the requested file in the HTTP response. Because WordPress stores database credentials, authentication salts, and table prefixes in wp-config.php, a single request yields the data needed for direct database access or further credential replay.

Root Cause

The root cause is missing input validation on the file parameter combined with the absence of authentication and capability checks. The handler trusts attacker-supplied input as a filesystem path and performs no canonicalization or allow-list enforcement.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires only network access to the WordPress site. An attacker issues an unauthenticated HTTP GET request to the plugin's download endpoint with a traversal payload in the file parameter. The server responds with the targeted file's contents. The vulnerability is scanned by the publicly available ProjectDiscovery Nuclei template aspose-pdf-file-download.yaml, which issues a request matching the pattern /wp-content/plugins/aspose-pdf-exporter/aspose_pdf_exporter_download.php?file=../../../wp-config.php and inspects the response for WordPress configuration markers.

No verified exploitation code is reproduced here. Technical specifics are documented in the VulnCheck Security Advisory and the Packet Storm archive entry.

Detection Methods for CVE-2015-20125

Indicators of Compromise

• HTTP requests to /wp-content/plugins/aspose-pdf-exporter/aspose_pdf_exporter_download.php containing ../ sequences in the file parameter.
• Access-log entries referencing sensitive filenames such as wp-config.php, /etc/passwd, or .htaccess as the file value.
• Unauthenticated GET requests from unknown IP ranges hitting the plugin path, consistent with Shadowserver-tracked scanning activity.
• Subsequent database authentication attempts from external hosts shortly after plugin endpoint access.

Detection Strategies

• Deploy the ProjectDiscovery Nuclei template for aspose-pdf-file-download against internal and external WordPress assets.
• Create web application firewall signatures that match the plugin path combined with .. or URL-encoded traversal variants (%2e%2e%2f, ..%2f).
• Correlate web server access logs with outbound database connections to identify credential replay following disclosure.

Monitoring Recommendations

• Alert on any HTTP 200 response from aspose_pdf_exporter_download.php where the request URI contains path traversal tokens.
• Monitor file integrity on wp-config.php and reset database passwords, AUTH_KEY, and other salts if access is suspected.
• Review historical web logs back to 2023-10-19 for exploitation attempts matching Shadowserver's observed indicators.

How to Mitigate CVE-2015-20125

Immediate Actions Required

• Deactivate and remove the Aspose PDF Exporter plugin from all WordPress sites until a confirmed fixed release is in use.
• Rotate all secrets stored in wp-config.php, including database credentials and WordPress authentication salts.
• Audit WordPress administrator accounts for unauthorized additions or role changes.
• Block external access to /wp-content/plugins/aspose-pdf-exporter/ at the web server or WAF layer.

Patch Information

A code change was committed to the plugin repository in WordPress Plugin Changeset 1127209. Administrators should verify the installed version against the current entry on the WordPress plugin page and the WPScan Vulnerability Report. If the plugin is no longer maintained in the environment, removal is the recommended course of action.

Workarounds

• Add a web server rule denying requests to aspose_pdf_exporter_download.php containing .., %2e%2e, or absolute path markers.
• Restrict read permissions on wp-config.php to the minimum required by the PHP runtime user.
• Place the WordPress site behind a WAF with directory traversal signatures enabled and in blocking mode.

# Nginx configuration example blocking the vulnerable endpoint
location ~* /wp-content/plugins/aspose-pdf-exporter/aspose_pdf_exporter_download\.php$ {
    return 403;
}

# Deny traversal patterns in query strings globally
if ($args ~* "(\.\./|%2e%2e%2f|%2e%2e/)") {
    return 403;
}