Simple Download Counter <= 2.2.2 — Authenticated (Administrator+) Arbitrary File Read via Path Traversal

Am I affected?

• Check your version: in wp-admin go to Plugins → Installed Plugins and read the version under Simple Download Counter.
• No admin access? Run a passive check of your site. It reads public files only.

What to do

1. Update to version 2.2.3, or a newer patched version
2. Rotate administrator passwords and application secrets if the site ran a vulnerable version while publicly reachable.
3. Watch Simple Download Counter to get an email when the next vulnerability is published.

Advisory

Source description from Wordfence Intelligence, credited to ChamlaVic.

The Simple Download Counter plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Path Traversal in all versions up to, and including, 2.2.2. This is due to insufficient path validation in the `simple_download_counter_parse_path()` function. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Administrator-level access and above, to read the contents of arbitrary files on the server, which may contain sensitive information such as database credentials (wp-config.php) or system files. Please note that the vendor opted to continue to allow remote file downloads from arbitrary locations on the server, however, has disabled this functionality on multi-sites and provided a warning to site owners in the readme.txt when they install the plugin. While not an optimal patch, we have considered this sufficient and recommend users proceed to use the plugin with caution.

Exploits & references

Proof-of-concept & detection

No public proof-of-concept or detection template is known for this vulnerability.

Advisories & patches

• Advisorywordfence.com

Related CVEs

Timeline

1. Dec 9, 2025

   CVE published

   Severity medium, CVSS 4.9

2. Nov 13, 2026

   Record last updated