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PHP File Inclusion (RFI/LFI)Weakness · CWE-98

CVE-2023-25998

HIGH · 8.1 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-06-27
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
90/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
Improper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement in PHP Program ('PHP Remote File Inclusion') vulnerability in snstheme Samex - Clean, Minimal Shop WooCommerce WordPress Theme allows PHP Local File Inclusion. This issue affects Samex - Clean, Minimal Shop WooCommerce WordPress Theme: from n/a through 2.6.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · moderate confidence

This is a Local File Inclusion (LFI) vulnerability in the Samex WordPress theme where improper control of filename parameters in PHP include/require statements allows attackers to include arbitrary local PHP files. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation on file path parameters, potentially enabling remote code execution if an attacker can upload or access malicious files on the server.

MitigationUpgrade to the latest version of the Samex theme (beyond 2.6) which should contain patched code with proper input validation on all include/require statements. If no update is available, audit theme source code for vulnerable include/require calls using user-supplied input and implement strict path validation or whitelist-based file inclusion.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
High
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Verify Samex theme installation
    Check your WordPress themes directory (wp-content/themes/) for the presence of the 'samex' or 'samex-theme' folder. List installed themes via wp-admin or filesystem inspection.
    Affected if The Samex theme folder exists in your WordPress installation's theme directory.
  2. Determine installed theme version
    Open the style.css file within the Samex theme folder and locate the 'Version:' header in the theme comments at the top of the file. Alternatively, check theme.json or any version file present.
    Affected if The version number found is 2.6 or lower, or if no version is declared and the theme is the Samex theme.
  3. Scan theme PHP files for vulnerable include/require patterns
    Search all .php files in the Samex theme folder for include, include_once, require, or require_once statements that reference variables or parameters without sanitization. Use grep or a text editor to find patterns like 'include($', 'require($', or dynamic file inclusion where the path comes from $_GET, $_POST, or $_REQUEST.
    Affected if Any PHP file in the theme contains include/require statements using unsanitized user input from request parameters.
  4. Identify accessible entry points
    Examine the theme's PHP files for functions or templates that handle HTTP request parameters (GET/POST) and pass them to include/require statements. Check files in the root of the theme folder and any subdirectories for code handling page template requests or ajax actions.
    Affected if There are publicly accessible PHP files that accept file path parameters and pass them to include/require functions without validation.
  5. Compare version against affected range
    Based on step 2, compare your installed version to the affected range. The vulnerability affects versions up to and including 2.6.
    Affected if Your Samex theme version is 2.6 or lower, or you cannot confirm the version is greater than 2.6.

Your environment is affected if the Samex WordPress theme is installed with version 2.6 or lower AND your theme code contains include/require statements using unsanitized user-supplied input that could be exploited for local file inclusion.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Upgrade to the latest version of the Samex theme (beyond 2.6) which should contain patched code with proper input validation on all include/require statements. If no update is available, audit theme source code for vulnerable include/require calls using user-supplied input and implement strict path validation or whitelist-based file inclusion.

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
14.0 hours of engineering $2,490
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2023-25998 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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