Local File Inclusion in Kentha Elementor Widgets (< 3.1) — Immediate Actions for WordPress Site Owners

Author: Managed-WP Security Team
Date: 2026-01-26
Categories: WordPress Security, Vulnerability Advisory, WAF, Incident Response

Executive summary
A critical Local File Inclusion (LFI) vulnerability, tracked as CVE-2026-24390, was identified in the Kentha Elementor Widgets WordPress plugin affecting versions earlier than 3.1. This flaw could expose sensitive files on your server and in certain scenarios, lead to full site compromise. Though exploitation requires Contributor-level access, many WordPress setups have user roles or configurations that could be abused. This advisory details the risk assessment, immediate remediation steps, ongoing hardening advice, detection methods, and how Managed-WP can safeguard your WordPress sites with top-tier protection.

Table of Contents

• Executive summary
• What is Local File Inclusion (LFI)?
• Overview of the Kentha Elementor Widgets vulnerability
• Why this vulnerability is significant for WordPress sites
• Attack scenarios and risks
• Immediate mitigation steps
• Managed-WP recommended firewall rules
• Detection and incident response protocol
• Secure development practices for plugin authors
• Long-term security strategies for WordPress users
• Enroll in Managed-WP Basic (Free) for immediate protection
• Closing remarks

What is Local File Inclusion (LFI)?

Local File Inclusion happens when a web application improperly uses untrusted input to build paths to files on the server, allowing attackers to read or execute local files. In WordPress (PHP-based), this can lead to serious issues such as credential leakage, configuration exposure, and in some configured environments, remote code execution (RCE).

Unlike Remote File Inclusion (RFI) which involves loading remote files, LFI is confined to files present on the server but still poses severe risk due to the sensitive nature of server files like database credentials, secret keys, or backup archives.

Overview of the Kentha Elementor Widgets vulnerability

• The Kentha Elementor Widgets plugin versions below 3.1 contain an LFI vulnerability (CVE-2026-24390).
• This flaw was patched in version 3.1 — upgrading is essential.
• Triggering this vulnerability requires the user to have Contributor-level access, a role that many sites assign without sufficient controls.
• CVSS severity score of 7.5 indicates high-risk potential primarily due to confidentiality and integrity implications.
• The vulnerability was responsibly disclosed by João Pedro S Alcântara (Kinorth) on January 24, 2026.

For security reasons, exploit code is not publicly shared. This post focuses on mitigation and response.

Why this vulnerability is significant for WordPress sites

WordPress’s extensibility often comes with a trade-off in security: many plugins accept user input in ways that require careful validation. A vulnerable LFI point allows attackers to:

• Access critical files like wp-config.php, environment files, or backups.
• Steal database credentials and secret keys, leading to deeper compromises.
• Achieve remote code execution through chained methods (e.g., PHP stream wrappers or file uploads).
• Move laterally if credentials are reused on other systems.

Contributor-level access is often overlooked as a risk vector, but it poses a meaningful threat especially on sites with open registration or stale users.

Attack scenarios and risks

1. Credential theft and database breaches
   Attackers may read sensitive config files and extract database credentials, enabling data exfiltration or manipulation.
2. Remote code execution through chaining
   LFI can be combined with upload flaws or PHP wrappers to execute malicious code.
3. Site defacement and persistence
   Compromise may lead to backdoors, altered themes/plugins, or injected payloads causing ongoing control by attackers.
4. Mass scanning and targeted exploitation
   While automated attacks require authentication, opportunistic or insider threats remain relevant risks.

Immediate mitigation steps

Protect your WordPress deployments by carrying out the following without delay:

1. Update Kentha Elementor Widgets plugin to version 3.1 or later
   This is the definitive fix. Perform updates via your WordPress dashboard or manually as needed. Use staging environments to validate if necessary.
2. Deploy virtual patching or WAF rules if patching is delayed
   Use a site firewall capable of blocking traversal and inclusion attack patterns until you can update the plugin (see Managed-WP firewall rules below).
3. Review and restrict user privileges
   Audit and limit Contributor and higher roles, enforce strong password policies and two-factor authentication, and disable unnecessary user registrations.
4. Harden file and server permissions
   Restrict file permissions to the minimum necessary (e.g., 640-644 for PHP files), disable risky PHP settings like allow_url_include, and apply open_basedir restrictions.
5. Scan your site for signs of compromise
   Conduct malware and file integrity scans, looking especially for unauthorized code or payload injections.
6. Rotate all sensitive credentials if compromise is suspected
   Change database passwords, WordPress salts/keys, and API keys promptly.
7. Restore to clean backups if needed
   Recover from a known-good backup if malicious modifications are confirmed before reapplying updates and hardening.

Maintain increased logging and monitoring of plugin-related endpoints for anomalous activity.

Managed-WP Recommended WAF Rules

Managed-WP provides robust Web Application Firewall (WAF) protections that include virtual patching tailored for this and similar vulnerabilities. Key defensive rules include:

1. Block Directory Traversal Patterns
   • Block strings such as ../, ..%2f, double-encoded variations, and backward slashes that are commonly used in traversal attacks.
   • Example server regex: (?i)(\.\./|\.\.\\|%2e%2e%2f|%2e%2e%5c)
2. Prevent PHP Stream Wrapper Abuse
   • Block parameters containing php://, data:, phar://, and other wrappers used to facilitate code execution.
   • Regex: (?i)(php://|data:|expect:|phar://|zip://|compress\.)
3. Restrict Access to Vulnerable Plugin Paths
   • Deny access to suspected vulnerable plugin endpoints unless authenticated with proper privileges.
   • Block direct front-end access to plugin internal PHP files.
4. Block Access to Critical Files
   • Detect and block attempts to access wp-config.php, .env, .git, or other sensitive filenames.
   • Regex: (?i)(wp-config\.php|\.env|\.git|id_rsa|\.ssh|credentials|database\.php)
5. Rate-limit or block unauthenticated requests targeting privilege-required endpoints
6. Monitor authenticated contributor-level user behavior for inclusion patterns

Important: Always apply these rules in detection (alert) mode first to prevent breaking legitimate functionality. Validate logs before enforcing blocking mode.

Detection and incident response protocol

• Look for unexpected file contents output in web pages indicating file disclosure.
• Analyze HTTP logs for traversal indicators (../ sequences), PHP wrappers, or direct references to sensitive files.
• Check for unauthorized file modifications, suspicious uploads, or encoded payloads in theme/plugin directories.
• Monitor Contributor account activity spikes or suspicious login events.
• Note creation of surprising admin users or unexplained database changes.
• Track outbound connections from your server that may signal data exfiltration.
• Review WAF alerts for the aforementioned attack signatures.

Incident-response checklist if compromise suspected:

1. Isolate the affected site: Enable maintenance mode or restrict public access.
2. Preserve logs and forensic evidence: Secure all logs and filesystem snapshots for analysis.
3. Rotate all exposed credentials: Immediately change passwords, keys, and other secrets.
4. Run comprehensive malware scans and clean infections.
5. Update all plugins and core CMS to latest versions.
6. Audit user accounts and strengthen authentication: Remove stale or suspicious users and enforce 2FA.
7. Monitor closely and enforce alerts for at least several weeks after remediation.
8. Engage professional incident response support if the breach is complex or high risk.

Secure development practices for plugin authors

Plugin developers addressing LFI issues should:

1. Never use user-supplied input directly in file inclusion or reading functions. Map inputs to internal whitelisted paths.
2. Implement whitelist validation strictly rather than blacklist risky patterns.
3. Use realpath() and canonicalization to verify file paths are restricted to safe directories.
4. Reject or sanitize all traversal strings robustly — do not rely on naive string replacement.
5. Disallow PHP wrappers and dangerous stream protocols in all file operations.
6. Restrict privileged operations to appropriately authorized roles server-side.
7. Escape and sanitize all file content outputs to prevent cross-site scripting (XSS).
8. Incorporate security-focused unit and integration testing including attempts to exploit file inclusion.

Long-term security strategies for WordPress users

• Enforce the principle of least privilege by minimizing user roles and permissions.
• Maintain a strict update regimen for WordPress core, plugins, and themes.
• Use a managed Web Application Firewall (WAF) with virtual patching capabilities to rapidly address vulnerabilities.
• Deploy file integrity monitoring and automated alerts on suspicious modifications.
• Secure access with strong authentication mechanisms and key-based SFTP.
• Keep regular, tested off-site backups inaccessible to the web server user.
• Utilize centralized logging and Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) where applicable.

Enroll in Managed-WP Basic (Free) for immediate protection

Why choose Managed-WP Basic?
If you oversee WordPress sites, Managed-WP Basic (Free) offers vital, immediately deployable protection at no cost. Features include a managed firewall with WAF rules targeting Local File Inclusion attacks, an automated malware scanner, and unlimited bandwidth to maintain site availability. Use it as a quick mitigation layer while you update plugins or as a foundation for comprehensive security.

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For organizations requiring automated remediation, IP management, and detailed vulnerability reports, explore our Standard and Pro plans designed for enterprise and agency needs.

Closing remarks

• Prioritize upgrading Kentha Elementor Widgets to version 3.1 or later immediately.
• Deploy virtual patches and enforce strong user privilege controls if immediate updates aren’t possible.
• Treat logging of traversal or stream-wrapping attempts as urgent investigation triggers.

Most WordPress compromises arise not out of zero-days alone but due to plugin vulnerabilities combined with lax operational controls—unused accounts, poor passwords, and permissive permissions. Addressing these operational risks, combined with Managed-WP’s advanced firewall and monitoring, markedly reduces your exposure.

If you require assistance with WAF configuration, vulnerability scanning, or incident response, Managed-WP’s expert team is ready to support you. Get started with our free plan for immediate firewall protection and site scanning: https://managed-wp.com/pricing

Stay vigilant. Treat every plugin update as a critical security measure.

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