CVE-2025-10143
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 · uneditedThe Catch Dark Mode plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Local File Inclusion in all versions up to, and including, 2.0 via the 'catch_dark_mode' shortcode. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Contributor-level access and above, to include and execute arbitrary .php files on the server, allowing the execution of any PHP code in those files. This can be used to bypass access controls, obtain sensitive data, or achieve code execution in cases where .php file types can be uploaded and included.
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 · high confidenceThe Catch Dark Mode WordPress plugin versions up to 2.0 contains a Local File Inclusion vulnerability in the 'catch_dark_mode' shortcode that allows authenticated users with Contributor-level access or higher to include and execute arbitrary .php files on the server, enabling code execution.
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
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Check if Catch Dark Mode plugin is installedGo to WordPress Admin > Plugins and look for 'Catch Dark Mode' in the installed plugins list, or check the filesystem at wp-content/plugins/ for a folder named 'catch-dark-mode' or similar.Affected if The plugin appears in the installed plugins list.
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Identify the installed plugin versionIn WordPress Admin > Plugins, click on the plugin to view its details, or open the main plugin PHP file (usually in the plugin folder) and look for the 'Version' header in the plugin comments at the top of the file.Affected if The version number is 2.0 or lower.
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Verify if the shortcode is functionalCreate a test post or page and insert the shortcode [catch_dark_mode], then view the page source or attempt to access a known local PHP file path via the shortcode parameter (if exploitable). Alternatively, check if the shortcode is registered by searching the plugin code for 'add_shortcode' with 'catch_dark_mode'.Affected if The shortcode is registered and processes parameters without sanitization.
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Check for authenticated users with Contributor role or higherIn WordPress Admin > Users, review the user list and count how many users have the Contributor, Author, Editor, or Administrator roles. Focus on users you do not personally manage or recognize.Affected if There are untrusted or unknown users with Contributor-level access or higher.
You are affected if the Catch Dark Mode plugin version is 2.0 or lower AND the shortcode is functional AND untrusted users with Contributor-level access exist on the site.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
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 dataUpdate the Catch Dark Mode plugin to version 2.1 or later once the patch is released. Until then, restrict or disable the shortcode functionality and limit user permissions to roles above Contributor.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,696.
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-10143 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2025-10143 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
No notes yet
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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data