AI Engine audio transcription route can read and exfiltrate local files
AI Engine before 3.6.6 accepts POST requests to /wp-json/mwai/v1/ai/transcribe_audio and passes raw parameters through simpleTranscribeAudio() and inject_params(), which can restore an attacker-controlled local path on the transcription query. The ChatML transcription path reads that file with file_get_contents() and sends its contents to the configured AI provider. A Subscriber can exploit this when the plugin's non-default Public API option is enabled; otherwise the route requires the plugin settings capability, normally Administrator. On multisite, a subsite Administrator can use the flaw to read network-level files such as wp-config.php.
- Component
- AI Engine
- Plugin slug
ai-engine- Affected
- < 3.6.6
- Safe version
3.6.6- Published
- Aug 08, 2026
This CVE was published Aug 08, 2026 and is one of 35 known issues for this plugin.
Update, patch or deactivate.
Update to 3.6.6 or later. Until updated, disable AI Engine's Public API and restrict plugin administration to trusted users. Treat local secrets accessible to WordPress as potentially exposed to the configured AI provider, rotate affected credentials, and review provider and WordPress request logs.
A safe version is available, so updating to that version or later is the preferred remediation. If an immediate update is not practical, consider a targeted application patch or temporarily restricting the affected functionality.
Deactivate only when warranted by your risk profile, or when advised by your hosting provider in the limited circumstances where the vulnerability cannot otherwise be mitigated. If you’re unsure which action is appropriate, contact Fused or your hosting provider for guidance.
Technical description
The AI Engine WordPress plugin before 3.6.6 does not confine a caller-supplied file path before reading it and forwarding the contents to an external service, allowing users with a subscriber-level account to read arbitrary files from the server and exfiltrate them off-host. Reaching the issue at subscriber level requires a non-default public API feature to be enabled; otherwise the same issue is reachable by an administrator, which on multisite allows a non-super subsite administrator to read the network-shared configuration and its secrets.
CVE / CNA vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:N/A:N