CVE-2024-38706: HT Mega Path Traversal Vulnerability

CVE-2024-38706 Overview

CVE-2024-38706 is a path traversal vulnerability in the HT Mega for Elementor WordPress plugin developed by DevItems (HasThemes). The flaw affects all versions of ht-mega-for-elementor up to and including 2.5.7. Attackers with low-privilege authenticated access can traverse directories using .../...// sequences to reach files outside the intended JSON path scope. The vulnerability is categorized under CWE-35: Path Traversal and reported through Patchstack.

Critical Impact
Authenticated attackers can read, modify, or influence files outside the intended directory, leading to confidentiality, integrity, and availability compromise of the WordPress site.

Affected Products

HasThemes HT Mega for Elementor plugin (free, WordPress)
All versions from unspecified initial release through 2.5.7
WordPress installations using the vulnerable plugin

Discovery Timeline

2024-07-12 - CVE-2024-38706 published to NVD
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2024-38706

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability originates in a JSON handler within the HT Mega for Elementor plugin. The handler accepts a file or directory parameter that is concatenated into a filesystem path without sufficient normalization. Attackers supply crafted traversal sequences such as .../...// that bypass naive filters removing single ../ patterns. The resulting path resolves outside the intended plugin directory. An authenticated attacker with minimal privileges can exploit this over the network with low attack complexity.

The impact spans confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Successful exploitation can expose sensitive WordPress files such as wp-config.php, plugin secrets, or arbitrary content on the underlying host. The .../...// pattern is a known filter-evasion technique documented under CWE-35.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper sanitization of user-controlled path input passed to a JSON endpoint in HT Mega. The plugin strips or checks for ../ sequences in a single pass. Nested sequences like .../...// collapse into ../ after the filter runs, allowing traversal to persist. See the Patchstack Vulnerability Report for advisory details.

Attack Vector

Exploitation requires network access and an authenticated session on the WordPress instance. The attacker sends a crafted HTTP request to the vulnerable JSON endpoint provided by the plugin, embedding .../...// sequences in the path parameter. No user interaction is required. See the Patchstack Detailed Vulnerability entry for scope details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2024-38706

Indicators of Compromise

HTTP requests containing .../...// or repeated ../ sequences directed at HT Mega plugin endpoints under /wp-content/plugins/ht-mega-for-elementor/
Unexpected read access to sensitive files such as wp-config.php from the PHP process associated with the plugin
Anomalous JSON responses from HT Mega endpoints referencing files outside the plugin directory

Detection Strategies

Inspect web server access logs for requests containing traversal patterns (...//, ..%2f, %2e%2e%2f) against ht-mega-for-elementor paths
Deploy WAF rules that decode and normalize path parameters before checking for traversal sequences
Correlate authenticated WordPress sessions with subsequent file-read anomalies on the host

Monitoring Recommendations

Enable file integrity monitoring on wp-config.php, plugin directories, and wp-content/uploads
Alert on WordPress REST or admin-ajax endpoints returning file content outside plugin scope
Track HT Mega plugin version across WordPress fleets to identify installations at or below 2.5.7

How to Mitigate CVE-2024-38706

Immediate Actions Required

Update the HT Mega for Elementor plugin to a version above 2.5.7 as soon as the vendor publishes a fixed release
Audit WordPress user accounts and remove or restrict low-privilege accounts that are no longer required
Review web server and PHP logs for prior exploitation attempts referencing traversal patterns

Patch Information

Refer to the Patchstack Vulnerability Report for the latest remediation status. The affected range covers all versions up to and including 2.5.7. Administrators should apply the vendor-supplied patch through the WordPress plugin update mechanism once available.

Workarounds

Deactivate and remove HT Mega for Elementor until a patched version is installed
Add WAF rules to block requests containing .../...//, ..%2f, or encoded traversal sequences targeting /wp-content/plugins/ht-mega-for-elementor/
Restrict filesystem permissions so the PHP worker process cannot read sensitive files such as wp-config.php beyond required scope

bash

# Example ModSecurity rule to block traversal patterns against HT Mega endpoints
SecRule REQUEST_URI "@contains ht-mega-for-elementor" \
    "phase:2,chain,deny,status:403,id:1003870,msg:'HT Mega path traversal attempt (CVE-2024-38706)'"
  SecRule ARGS|REQUEST_URI "@rx (\.{2,}[\\/]|\.\.%2f|%2e%2e%2f|\.{3,}//)" \
    "t:none,t:urlDecodeUni,t:lowercase"