# CVE-2026-97348: SiteOrigin Widgets Bundle directory traversal in shortcode handler

Source: https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-97348-the-siteorigin-widgets-bundle-plugin-for-wordpress-is-vulnerable  
Publisher: Junglewise Threat Intelligence, https://junglewise.ai/threats  
Published: 2026-10-10. Updated: 2026-10-16  
License: CC BY 4.0 with a link back

CVE-2026-97348 · Severity: medium · CVSS 6.5 · Published 2026-10-10

The SiteOrigin Widgets Bundle, a WordPress plugin for managing widgets and content, contains a directory traversal vulnerability that allows authenticated contributors and higher to read arbitrary files from the server. An attacker with contributor-level access can exploit this to access sensitive files like configuration files containing database credentials or API keys.

Vendors: [SiteOrigin](https://junglewise.ai/threats/vendors/siteorigin).

## Quick answers

**Is CVE-2026-97348 exploited in the wild?** No. Junglewise Threat Intelligence has no report of CVE-2026-97348 being exploited in the wild.

**How severe is CVE-2026-97348?** Medium severity, with a CVSS score of 6.5, published 10 October 2026.

**Which products and versions are affected?** SiteOrigin Widgets Bundle up to 1.74.3.

**Is there a fix for CVE-2026-97348?** Yes: fixed in 1.74.4 or later. Junglewise finds every place you run it, drafts the upgrade and applies it once you approve.

**How is CVE-2026-97348 attacked?** It is attacked over the network, in a web application.

**Am I affected by CVE-2026-97348?** Check whether you run SiteOrigin Widgets Bundle at an affected version. Junglewise does that check for you around the clock: connect your code, cloud and domains, and it matches new vulnerabilities like this one against what you actually run and tells you when one reaches you.

## How to fix

- Fixed in 1.74.4 or later

## Technical details

The vulnerability exists in the get_instance_css function called via the [siteorigin_widget] shortcode handler, which bypasses the normal sanitization pipeline (update()/sanitize_field_input()) by calling $the_widget->widget() directly on attacker-supplied decoded JSON instance data. This allows path traversal through the widget's CSS processing to read arbitrary files on the server. The attack requires authenticated access at the contributor level or above.

## Affected products

- SiteOrigin Widgets Bundle up to 1.74.3

## Timeline

- 2026-10-10: disclosed
- other: Fix commits reference value guards and LESS parsing validation dated September 26, 2026

## References

- [https://github.com/siteorigin/so-widgets-bundle/compare/540f834469fe...bf80892709fb](https://github.com/siteorigin/so-widgets-bundle/compare/540f834469fe...bf80892709fb)
- [https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/so-widgets-bundle/tags/1.74.3/base/inc/shortcode.php](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/so-widgets-bundle/tags/1.74.3/base/inc/shortcode.php)

## Related threats

- [SiteOrigin Widgets Bundle local file inclusion via theme parameter](https://junglewise.ai/threats/cve-2026-92174-the-siteorigin-widgets-bundle-plugin-for-wordpress-is-vulnerable)