CVE-2025-69064

Executive Summary

CVE-2025-69064 is a critical PHP Local File Inclusion (LFI) vulnerability discovered in the Pets Land WordPress theme by AncoraThemes, affecting versions up to and including 1.2.8. The vulnerability stems from improper control of filenames used in PHP include/require statements, 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 reflects the high impact on confidentiality with low attack complexity and no required privileges. As a WordPress theme component, this vulnerability directly impacts the WordPress ecosystem and does not involve Apache or Nginx misconfigurations.

Supply Chain & Package Security

This vulnerability affects a commercial WordPress theme distributed via ThemeForest and other marketplaces. Since no official patch has been released, users are advised to consider the theme as end-of-life and migrate to an alternative. The lack of an OSV or GitHub advisory indicates poor supply chain security practices by the vendor.

CVSS Breakdown & Threat Level

• CVSS Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:N
• Base Score: 8.1 (High)
• Attack Vector: Network (AV:N) – exploitable remotely.
• Attack Complexity: Low (AC:L) – no special conditions required.
• Privileges Required: None (PR:N) – unauthenticated exploitation.
• User Interaction: None (UI:N) – no victim action needed.
• Scope: Unchanged (S:U) – vulnerability does not cross trust boundaries.
• Confidentiality Impact: High (C:H) – full file read capability.
• Integrity Impact: None (I:N) – no file modification.
• Availability Impact: None (A:N) – no denial of service.

Threat Level: High. The low EPSS score (0.0%) suggests limited active exploitation, but the ease of exploitation and high impact make it a priority for remediation.

Deep Dive & Mechanics

The vulnerability resides in the Pets Land theme's PHP code, likely in a custom template or shortcode handler that uses user-supplied input to construct file paths for include() or require() statements. The theme fails to sanitize or validate the filename parameter, allowing path traversal sequences (e.g., ../../) to escape the intended directory.

Root Cause: The theme uses a function similar to:

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

Without proper validation, an attacker can supply ../../../wp-config to read the WordPress configuration file.

Attack Flow:

1. Attacker identifies a vulnerable endpoint (e.g., /?file=...).
2. Attacker crafts a request with path traversal: /?file=../../../wp-config.
3. The server includes the file, outputting its contents in the response.
4. Attacker extracts database credentials and other sensitive data.

WordPress Context: This is a theme-level vulnerability, not a core WordPress issue. The theme's functions.php or a custom plugin bundled with the theme is the likely source.

Vulnerable vs. Patched Code

Vulnerable Code (petsland <= 1.2.8):

// Example vulnerable pattern
$file = $_GET['file'];
include( get_template_directory() . '/includes/' . $file . '.php' );

Patched Code (hypothetical):

// Secure implementation
$allowed_files = array('header', 'footer', 'sidebar');
$file = basename( $_GET['file'] );
if ( in_array( $file, $allowed_files ) ) {
    include( get_template_directory() . '/includes/' . $file . '.php' );
} else {
    // Handle error
}

Key Differences:

• The patched version uses basename() to strip directory traversal.
• It implements a whitelist of allowed files.
• It validates the input against expected values.

Exploitation & Lab Setup

Red Team (Offensive)

Prerequisites:

• A WordPress installation with Pets Land theme <= 1.2.8.
• Knowledge of the vulnerable parameter (e.g., file, template, include).

Exploitation Steps:

1. Identify the vulnerable endpoint by fuzzing common parameters.
2. Use path traversal to read sensitive files:

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

3. Extract database credentials from the response.
4. For advanced exploitation, attempt to include log files or upload a malicious PHP file via another vector.

Proof-of-Concept (PoC):

# Read wp-config.php
curl -v "http://target.com/wp-content/themes/petsland/?file=../../../../wp-config"

Blue Team (Defensive)

Detection:

• Monitor web server logs for path traversal patterns (e.g., ../, %2e%2e%2f).
• Deploy WAF rules to block requests containing file= with directory traversal sequences.
• Use file integrity monitoring to detect unauthorized file access.

Hunting:

• Search for include( or require( in theme files with unsanitized $_GET or $_POST parameters.
• Review access logs for anomalous requests to theme directories.

Indicators of Compromise (IOCs)

Network IOCs:

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

File IOCs:

• Unusual files in the web root (e.g., shell.php, cmd.php).
• Modified .htaccess files.
• New user accounts or cron jobs.

Log IOCs:

• Apache/Nginx logs showing 200 OK responses to path traversal attempts.
• PHP error logs with include() failures.

Detection Engineering

YARA Rule

rule CVE_2025_69064_LFI_Detect {
    meta:
        description = "Detects attempts to exploit CVE-2025-69064 in Pets Land theme"
        author = "Valters IT"
        date = "2025-04-10"
        reference = "CVE-2025-69064"
    strings:
        $traversal1 = "../"
        $traversal2 = "..\\"
        $traversal3 = "%2e%2e%2f"
        $traversal4 = "%2e%2e\\"
        $param = "file="
    condition:
        any of ($traversal*) and $param
}

Sigma Rule

title: CVE-2025-69064 Pets Land LFI Attempt
id: 8a9b7c6d-5e4f-3a2b-1c0d-9e8f7a6b5c4d
status: experimental
description: Detects path traversal attempts targeting the Pets Land WordPress theme
author: Valters IT
logsource:
    category: webserver
    product: apache
detection:
    selection:
        c-uri|contains:
            - 'file=../'
            - 'file=%2e%2e%2f'
            - 'file=..\\'
            - 'file=%2e%2e\\'
    condition: selection
falsepositives:
    - Legitimate use of relative paths in other contexts (rare)
level: high

Suricata Rule

alert http any any -> any any (msg:"CVE-2025-69064 Pets Land LFI Attempt"; flow:to_server,established; content:"file="; http_uri; content:"../"; distance:0; within:10; http_uri; classtype:attempted-recon; sid:1000001; rev:1;)

Remediation & Mitigation

Immediate Actions:

1. Disable the Pets Land theme and switch to a default WordPress theme (e.g., Twenty Twenty-Four).
2. Implement a Web Application Firewall (WAF) rule to block path traversal patterns.
3. Audit server logs for signs of exploitation.

Long-term Fixes:

• Since no patch is available, migrate to a different theme that is actively maintained.
• Contact AncoraThemes for a security update or refund.
• Apply virtual patching via WAF or server-level mod_rewrite rules:

  RewriteEngine On
  RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} (^|&)file=.*\.\./ [NC]
  RewriteRule .* - [F,L]
  

General Best Practices:

• Always validate and sanitize user input in PHP include/require statements.
• Use basename() and whitelists for file inclusion.
• Keep all WordPress themes and plugins updated.
• Regularly scan for vulnerabilities using tools like WPScan.

Valters IT