---
id: "CVE-2015-20125"
kind: "vulnerability"
aliases: ["CVE-2015-20125"]
title: "WordPress Aspose PDF Exporter: path traversal lets anyone read wp-config.php"
severity: "high"
cvss: 8.7
epss: null
exploited: false
status: "open"
category: "package"
products: []
ecosystems: []
tags: ["package", "self-hosted", "wordpress"]
not_affected_if: ["plugin-not-installed", "version-2.0-or-later"]
published_at: "2026-10-20T21:17:13+00:00"
first_seen_at: "2026-10-23T21:57:21+00:00"
updated_at: "2026-10-23T22:37:16+00:00"
sources: [{"source": "nvd", "url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2015-20125", "first_seen_at": "2026-10-23T21:57:21+00:00"}]
---

# WordPress Aspose PDF Exporter: path traversal lets anyone read wp-config.php

The Aspose PDF Exporter WordPress plugin before 2.0 passes an unsanitized 'file' parameter to readfile(). An unauthenticated attacker can request aspose_pdf_exporter_download.php with ../ sequences to download files such as wp-config.php, exposing database credentials.

_Summary, check and fix written by a model from the sources; labelled as such._

## How to check

Check whether the plugin is installed: look for wp-content/plugins/aspose-pdf-exporter or the file aspose_pdf_exporter_download.php. Check the installed version is below 2.0 in the plugin header.

## Fix

Remove the Aspose PDF Exporter plugin or update to 2.0 or later. Rotate database credentials and other secrets in wp-config.php if the plugin was exposed.

## Timeline

- 2026-10-23T21:57:21+00:00 nvd https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2015-20125

## From the sources

Aspose PDF Exporter plugin for WordPress before 2.0 contains a path traversal vulnerability that allows unauthenticated attackers to download files through the unsanitized 'file' parameter passed to readfile(). Attackers can send GET requests to aspose_pdf_exporter_download.php with traversal sequences like ../../../wp-config.php to retrieve WordPress database credentials. Exploitation evidence was first observed by the Shadowserver Foundation on 2023-10-19.

---

_Free to read at a human pace. An API with keys and an MCP server are in preparation; early access: hello@infrastack.ai_