CVE-2025-62010

Executive Summary

CVE-2025-62010 is a critical security vulnerability affecting the Famita WordPress theme developed by ApusTheme. The vulnerability is a PHP Local File Inclusion (LFI) issue, stemming from improper control of a filename used in a PHP include or require statement. This allows an unauthenticated attacker to include arbitrary local files from the server, potentially leading to sensitive information disclosure (e.g., reading /etc/passwd, wp-config.php). The CVSS score of 8.1 (High) reflects the ease of exploitation (network-based, low complexity, no privileges required) and the high impact on confidentiality. No patch is currently available, and no public proof-of-concept (PoC) or exploit code has been released.

Supply Chain & Package Security

This vulnerability is specific to the WordPress ecosystem and the Famita theme. It is not a supply chain attack on a package manager like NPM or PyPI, but rather a direct vulnerability in a commercial WordPress theme. Users who have purchased and installed this theme are at risk. The lack of a patch from the vendor (Apustheme) means that affected sites must rely on temporary mitigations.

CVSS Breakdown & Threat Level

• CVSS Score: 8.1 (High)
• Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
• Attack Vector: Network (AV:N) – The vulnerability can be exploited remotely.
• Attack Complexity: Low (AC:L) – No special conditions are required.
• Privileges Required: None (PR:N) – No authentication needed.
• User Interaction: None (UI:N) – No user action is required.
• Scope: Unchanged (S:U) – The vulnerable component and the impacted component are the same.
• Confidentiality Impact: High (C:H) – Sensitive files can be read.
• Integrity Impact: None (I:N) – No file modification is possible.
• Availability Impact: None (A:N) – No denial of service.

Threat Level: High. The vulnerability is easy to exploit and can lead to the disclosure of sensitive configuration files, database credentials, and other secrets.

Deep Dive & Mechanics

The vulnerability is a PHP Local File Inclusion (LFI) in the Famita theme. The theme likely uses a parameter (e.g., page, template, or file) to dynamically include PHP files. Due to insufficient sanitization, an attacker can manipulate this parameter to include arbitrary files from the server.

Root Cause: The theme's code uses a user-supplied value in a PHP include() or require() function without proper validation or sanitization. For example:

include($_GET['template'] . '.php');

An attacker can exploit this by using path traversal sequences (e.g., ../../../../etc/passwd%00) to include files outside the intended directory. The null byte (%00) may be used to truncate the .php extension in older PHP versions, but modern PHP versions (5.3.4+) are not vulnerable to null byte injection. However, the attacker can still include files with a .php extension or use other techniques like php://filter to read arbitrary files.

WordPress Context: Since this is a WordPress theme, the vulnerable code is likely in a template file (e.g., header.php, footer.php, or a custom page template). The attacker can trigger the vulnerability by sending a crafted HTTP request to a page that uses the vulnerable include.

Vulnerable vs. Patched Code

Since no patch is available, we can only hypothesize the vulnerable code and what a patch would look like.

Vulnerable Code (Hypothetical):

<?php
// In a template file (e.g., page.php)
$template = $_GET['template'];
include( get_template_directory() . '/templates/' . $template . '.php' );
?>

Patched Code (Hypothetical):

<?php
// In a template file (e.g., page.php)
$allowed_templates = array('default', 'full-width', 'left-sidebar');
$template = $_GET['template'];
if ( in_array( $template, $allowed_templates ) ) {
    include( get_template_directory() . '/templates/' . $template . '.php' );
} else {
    // Fallback to default template
    include( get_template_directory() . '/templates/default.php' );
}
?>

The patch would implement a whitelist of allowed template names, preventing any arbitrary file inclusion.

Exploitation & Lab Setup

Red Team (Exploitation)

Prerequisites:

• A WordPress site running the Famita theme version <= 1.54.
• The vulnerable parameter (e.g., template, page, file) must be identified.

Exploitation Steps:

1. Identify the vulnerable parameter: Look for URL patterns like ?template=something or ?page=something in the theme's pages.

2. Test for LFI: Send a request with a path traversal payload:

   http://target.com/?template=../../../../etc/passwd%00
   

3. Read sensitive files: If successful, the contents of /etc/passwd will be displayed. For WordPress, try:

   http://target.com/?template=../../../../wp-config.php
   

4. Use PHP wrappers (if PHP version allows):

   http://target.com/?template=php://filter/convert.base64-encode/resource=../../../../wp-config.php
   

Example cURL command:

curl -v "http://target.com/?template=../../../../etc/passwd%00"

Blue Team (Detection & Defense)

Detection:

• Monitor web server logs for requests containing ../, %00, or php://filter.
• Look for requests to the Famita theme's template files with unusual parameters.

Defense:

• Immediate: Disable the Famita theme and switch to a default WordPress theme (e.g., Twenty Twenty-Four).
• Web Application Firewall (WAF): Block requests containing path traversal sequences (../, ..\\) or PHP wrappers (php://).
• File Permissions: Ensure that sensitive files (e.g., wp-config.php) are not readable by the web server user.
• PHP Configuration: Set allow_url_include = Off and allow_url_fopen = Off in php.ini to mitigate some LFI attacks.

Indicators of Compromise (IOCs)

• URL Patterns:
  • ?template=../../../../etc/passwd
  • ?template=php://filter/convert.base64-encode/resource=
  • ?page=../../../../wp-config.php
• Web Server Logs:
  • Requests with multiple ../ sequences.
  • Requests containing %00 (null byte).
  • Requests to php://filter or php://input.
• File System:
  • Unexpected inclusion of /etc/passwd, /etc/shadow, or wp-config.php in HTTP responses.

Detection Engineering

YARA Rule

rule CVE_2025_62010_LFI_Detection {
    meta:
        description = "Detects attempts to exploit CVE-2025-62010 LFI in Famita theme"
        author = "Valters IT"
        date = "2025-04-10"
        reference = "CVE-2025-62010"
    strings:
        $path_traversal = /\.\.\/\.\.\/\.\.\/\.\.\/(etc\/passwd|wp-config\.php|proc\/self\/environ)/
        $php_wrapper = /php:\/\/filter/
        $null_byte = /%00/
    condition:
        any of them
}

Sigma Rule

title: CVE-2025-62010 - Famita Theme LFI Attempt
id: 7a8b9c0d-1e2f-3a4b-5c6d-7e8f9a0b1c2d
status: experimental
description: Detects HTTP requests attempting to exploit LFI in Famita WordPress theme
author: Valters IT
date: 2025-04-10
logsource:
    category: webserver
    product: apache
    service: access
detection:
    selection:
        cs-uri-query|contains:
            - '..'
            - '%00'
            - 'php://filter'
    condition: selection
falsepositives:
    - Legitimate use of path traversal in other applications (rare)
level: high

Suricata Rule

alert http any any -> any any (msg:"CVE-2025-62010 - Famita Theme LFI Attempt"; flow:to_server; content:".."; http_uri; content:"%00"; http_uri; distance:0; content:"php://filter"; http_uri; distance:0; sid:1000001; rev:1;)

Remediation & Mitigation

Immediate Actions:

1. Disable the Famita theme and switch to a default WordPress theme (e.g., Twenty Twenty-Four).
2. Apply a Web Application Firewall (WAF) rule to block path traversal and PHP wrapper attacks.
3. Review server logs for any signs of exploitation.

Long-Term Actions:

1. Contact ApusTheme for an official patch. If no patch is forthcoming, consider replacing the theme permanently.
2. Harden the WordPress installation:
   • Keep WordPress core, themes, and plugins updated.
   • Use a security plugin (e.g., Wordfence, Sucuri) to monitor for file inclusion attempts.
   • Set proper file permissions (e.g., 644 for files, 755 for directories).
3. Implement a Content Security Policy (CSP) to restrict the execution of scripts.

Valters IT Signature

This report was generated by Valters IT DevSecOps AI. For questions, contact security@valters-it.com.