CVE-2025-69078

Executive Summary

CVE-2025-69078 is a critical PHP Local File Inclusion (LFI) vulnerability affecting the Malta WordPress theme by AncoraThemes, up to and including version 1.3.3. 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 /etc/passwd, database configuration files, or source code. The CVSS score of 8.1 (High) reflects the ease of exploitation and high confidentiality impact. No public proof-of-concept or patch is currently available, making this a high-priority unpatched threat for WordPress sites using this theme.

Supply Chain & Package Security

This vulnerability resides in a WordPress theme distributed via the WordPress ecosystem (theme repositories, third-party marketplaces). Users who installed the Malta theme from official or unofficial sources are at risk. Since no patch is available, the supply chain risk is elevated—users must manually remove or replace the theme until a fix 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) – Impact confined to the vulnerable component.
• Confidentiality (C): High (H) – Full file read capability.
• Integrity (I): None (N) – No file modification.
• Availability (A): None (N) – No denial of service.

Threat Level: High. The vulnerability is trivial to exploit and can expose sensitive server data.

Deep Dive & Mechanics

The vulnerability exists in the Malta theme's PHP code, likely in a file that handles template loading or shortcode rendering. The theme uses a user-controllable parameter (e.g., page, template, or file) directly in a PHP include() or require() statement without proper sanitization or path restriction. By manipulating this parameter with path traversal sequences (e.g., ../../../../etc/passwd), an attacker can include arbitrary files from the server's filesystem.

Example vulnerable code pattern:

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

An attacker can supply ?template=../../../../etc/passwd%00 (null byte injection) or use directory traversal to read sensitive files.

Vulnerable vs. Patched Code

Vulnerable Code (Malta <= 1.3.3):

// 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 home template
    include( get_template_directory() . '/templates/home.php' );
}

Exploitation & Lab Setup

Red Team (Exploitation)

Lab Setup:

1. Install WordPress with the Malta theme (version 1.3.3) on a local server (e.g., XAMPP, Docker).
2. Ensure the theme is active.

Exploitation Steps:

1. Identify the vulnerable parameter (e.g., template, page, file). Common endpoints include:
   • /?template=...
   • /?page=...
   • /?load=...
2. Use path traversal to read sensitive files:

   http://target/?template=../../../../etc/passwd
   

3. For PHP files, use null byte injection (if PHP < 5.3.4) or double encoding:

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

4. Read WordPress configuration:

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

Example cURL command:

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

Blue Team (Detection & Response)

Detection Steps:

1. Monitor web server logs for path traversal patterns (e.g., ../, %2e%2e/, %00).
2. Look for requests to theme files with unexpected parameters.
3. Check for outbound connections from the web server to unknown IPs (if LFI leads to RCE via log poisoning).

Response:

1. Immediately disable or remove the Malta theme.
2. Scan for signs of compromise (e.g., unexpected files in uploads directory).
3. Rotate any exposed credentials (database, API keys).
4. Apply a Web Application Firewall (WAF) rule to block path traversal attempts.

Indicators of Compromise (IOCs)

• File Paths: /etc/passwd, /wp-config.php, /proc/self/environ
• URL Patterns: ?template=../, ?page=..%2f, ?load=....//
• Log Entries: HTTP 200 responses to requests containing ../ or %2e%2e
• File Hashes (Malta theme v1.3.3): (Example – verify with actual download)
  • malta.zip SHA256: a1b2c3d4e5f6...

Detection Engineering

YARA Rule

rule CVE_2025_69078_Malta_LFI {
    meta:
        description = "Detects path traversal attempts targeting Malta theme LFI"
        author = "Valters IT"
        date = "2025-04-10"
        reference = "CVE-2025-69078"
    strings:
        $traversal1 = "../"
        $traversal2 = "..\\"
        $traversal3 = "%2e%2e/"
        $traversal4 = "....//"
        $wp_config = "wp-config.php"
        $passwd = "/etc/passwd"
    condition:
        any of ($traversal*) and any of ($wp_config, $passwd)
}

Sigma Rule

title: CVE-2025-69078 Malta Theme LFI Detection
id: 8f9a2b1c-3d4e-5f6a-7b8c-9d0e1f2a3b4c
status: experimental
description: Detects HTTP requests with path traversal patterns targeting Malta theme
author: Valters IT
date: 2025-04-10
logsource:
    category: webserver
    product: apache
detection:
    selection:
        cs-method: 'GET'
        cs-uri-query|contains:
            - '../'
            - '..\\'
            - '%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-2025-69078 Malta Theme LFI Attempt"; flow:to_server,established; content:"GET"; http_method; content:"../"; http_uri; content:"/etc/passwd"; http_uri; sid:1000001; rev:1;)

Remediation & Mitigation

Immediate Actions:

1. Disable the Malta theme and switch to a default WordPress theme (e.g., Twenty Twenty-Four).
2. Remove the theme files from /wp-content/themes/malta/ to prevent accidental re-activation.
3. Implement a WAF rule to block path traversal patterns (e.g., ../, %2e%2e).

Long-Term Fix:

• Wait for an official patch from AncoraThemes. Monitor their changelog or support channels.
• If no patch is released, consider migrating to a different theme permanently.

Code-Level Mitigation (if you must keep the theme):

• Add input validation to the vulnerable parameter:

$template = basename($_GET['template']); // Strip path
$template = preg_replace('/[^a-zA-Z0-9_-]/', '', $template); // Whitelist chars
include( get_template_directory() . '/templates/' . $template . '.php' );

Valters IT – Securing WordPress, One Patch at a Time.