CVE-2025-69074

Executive Summary

CVE-2025-69074 is a critical PHP Local File Inclusion (LFI) vulnerability discovered in the Pearson Specter WordPress theme developed by AncoraThemes. This vulnerability affects all versions up to and including 1.11.3. The flaw resides in 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, including configuration files, source code, and potentially credentials. The vulnerability is classified as a WordPress ecosystem issue, specifically within the theme's codebase, and is not related to the underlying web server (Apache/Nginx). No public exploit code or patch is currently available, making this a high-priority zero-day risk for all sites using the affected theme.

Supply Chain & Package Security

This vulnerability is specific to the Pearson Specter WordPress theme, distributed via the WordPress theme repository and potentially third-party marketplaces. As a WordPress theme, it is a direct dependency for any site using it. The lack of a patch from the vendor (AncoraThemes) means that all sites running version 1.11.3 or earlier are exposed. Site administrators must treat this as a supply chain risk and consider removing or replacing the theme until a fix is released.

CVSS Breakdown & Threat Level

• CVSS Score: 8.1 (High)
• Attack Vector: Network (AV:N)
• Attack Complexity: Low (AC:L)
• Privileges Required: None (PR:N)
• User Interaction: None (UI:N)
• Scope: Unchanged (S:U)
• Confidentiality Impact: High (C:H)
• Integrity Impact: None (I:N)
• Availability Impact: None (A:N)

The high CVSS score reflects the ease of exploitation (no authentication required) and the severe confidentiality impact. An attacker can read arbitrary files on the server, potentially exposing database credentials, API keys, and other sensitive data.

Deep Dive & Mechanics

The vulnerability is a PHP Local File Inclusion (LFI) caused by improper sanitization of user-supplied input used in a PHP include() or require() statement. In the Pearson Specter theme, a parameter (likely page, template, or similar) is passed to a function that constructs a file path without adequate validation. An attacker can manipulate this parameter to traverse directories and include arbitrary files.

Example vulnerable code pattern:

$template = $_GET['template'];
include("templates/" . $template . ".php");

By supplying a value like ../../../../etc/passwd%00, the attacker can null-terminate the string and include /etc/passwd instead of the intended template. The null byte injection (%00) is a classic technique to bypass the .php extension append.

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 description states.

Vulnerable vs. Patched Code

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

Vulnerable Code (Pearson Specter <= 1.11.3):

// In a theme file (e.g., functions.php or template-loader.php)
$template = $_GET['template'];
include( get_template_directory() . '/templates/' . $template . '.php' );

Patched Code (Hypothetical):

// Whitelist allowed templates
$allowed_templates = array('home', 'single', 'page', 'archive');
$template = $_GET['template'];
if ( in_array( $template, $allowed_templates ) ) {
    include( get_template_directory() . '/templates/' . $template . '.php' );
} else {
    // Default to a safe template or error
    include( get_template_directory() . '/templates/404.php' );
}

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

Exploitation & Lab Setup

Red Team (Exploitation)

Prerequisites:

• Target WordPress site running Pearson Spectre theme <= 1.11.3
• No authentication required

Exploitation Steps:

1. Identify the vulnerable parameter (likely template, page, or file).
2. Craft a payload to traverse directories and include a sensitive file.

Example Request:

GET /?template=../../../../etc/passwd%00 HTTP/1.1
Host: target-site.com

Expected Response: The server will return the contents of /etc/passwd (or an error if null byte injection is blocked by newer PHP versions). For PHP 5.3+, null byte injection may not work; instead, use path traversal without null byte:

GET /?template=../../../../etc/passwd HTTP/1.1

This may cause a PHP error if the file doesn't have a .php extension, but the error message itself may leak the file path.

Advanced Exploitation:

• Include PHP wrappers like php://filter/convert.base64-encode/resource=../../../../wp-config.php to read PHP files.
• Use data:// or input:// wrappers for code execution if allow_url_include is enabled.

Blue Team (Detection & Hardening)

Detection:

• Monitor web server logs for suspicious template or file parameters containing ../, %00, or php://.
• Look for requests to non-existent template files that result in 200 OK responses with unexpected content (e.g., /etc/passwd).

Hardening:

• Disable allow_url_include in php.ini.
• Use a Web Application Firewall (WAF) to block path traversal patterns.
• Implement file integrity monitoring on critical system files.
• Remove or replace the vulnerable theme immediately.

Indicators of Compromise (IOCs)

• File Paths Accessed:
  • /etc/passwd
  • /etc/shadow
  • /wp-config.php
  • /proc/self/environ
• URL Patterns:
  • ?template=../../../../etc/passwd
  • ?template=php://filter/convert.base64-encode/resource=...
• Log Entries:
  • HTTP 200 responses to requests with ../ in the template parameter.
  • PHP errors referencing include() with unexpected file paths.

Detection Engineering

YARA Rule

rule CVE_2025_69074_LFI_Detection {
    meta:
        description = "Detects LFI attempts targeting CVE-2025-69074 in Pearson Specter theme"
        author = "Valters IT"
        date = "2025-04-10"
        severity = "high"
    strings:
        $path_traversal = /template=\.\.\/\.\.\/\.\.\/\.\.\//
        $null_byte = /%00/
        $php_wrapper = /template=php:\/\//
    condition:
        any of them
}

Sigma Rule

title: CVE-2025-69074 LFI Attempt
id: 8a9b7c6d-5e4f-3a2b-1c0d-9e8f7a6b5c4d
status: experimental
description: Detects path traversal attempts in the template parameter targeting Pearson Specter theme
author: Valters IT
date: 2025/04/10
logsource:
    category: webserver
    product: apache
    service: access_combined
detection:
    selection:
        cs-uri-query|contains:
            - 'template=../'
            - 'template=%2e%2e%2f'
            - 'template=php://'
    condition: selection
falsepositives:
    - Legitimate use of relative paths (rare)
level: high

Suricata Rule

alert http any any -> any any (msg:"CVE-2025-69074 LFI Attempt - Pearson Specter Theme"; flow:to_server; content:"template="; http_uri; content:"../"; distance:0; within:100; http_uri; classtype:attempted-recon; sid:1000001; rev:1;)

Remediation & Mitigation

Immediate Actions:

1. Remove or disable the Pearson Specter theme from all WordPress installations.
2. Switch to a different, actively maintained theme.
3. If removal is not possible, implement a virtual patch using a WAF to block the vulnerable parameter patterns.

Long-term Fix:

• Await an official patch from AncoraThemes. Monitor their changelog and update immediately when available.
• Conduct a security audit of all custom themes and plugins for similar LFI vulnerabilities.

Workaround (if theme must stay):

• Add the following to .htaccess (Apache) to block malicious requests:

RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} template=\.\./ [NC,OR]
RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} template=php:// [NC]
RewriteRule ^ - [F,L]

• For Nginx, add a similar rule in the server block:

if ($args ~* "template=\.\./|template=php://") {
    return 403;
}

Valters IT
Securing Digital Frontiers