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

CVE-2025-13886

HIGH · 7.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-12-12
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
81/100
Remediation priority · High
Remotely reachable 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
The LT Unleashed plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Local File Inclusion in all versions up to, and including, 1.1.1 via the 'template' parameter in the `book` shortcode due to insufficient path sanitization. This makes it possible for authenticated attackers, with Contributor-level access and above, to include and execute arbitrary 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 files such as wp-config.php can be 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 confidence

The LT Unleashed WordPress plugin up to version 1.1.1 contains a Local File Inclusion vulnerability in its book shortcode handler. The 'template' parameter is not properly sanitized, allowing authenticated attackers with Contributor-level access or higher to manipulate file paths and include arbitrary server-side files. This enables execution of any PHP code present in included files, which can be leveraged to read sensitive files like wp-config.php or achieve remote code execution.

MitigationImmediately update the LT Unleashed plugin to the latest version once available, or implement input validation using basename() and whitelist validation to ensure only allowed template files can be loaded. As an interim measure, disable the plugin if updates are not available.

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 checks

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

  1. Confirm LT Unleashed plugin is installed
    Check for the plugin directory at wp-content/plugins/lt-unleashed/ or query the WordPress database: SELECT * FROM wp_options WHERE option_name = 'active_plugins' AND option_value LIKE '%lt-unleashed%';
    Affected if The plugin directory exists or the plugin appears in active_plugins list
  2. Identify installed plugin version
    Read the plugin header from wp-content/plugins/lt-unleashed/lt-unleashed.php or check wp-content/plugins/lt-unleashed/readme.txt for the 'Stable tag' version entry
    Affected if Version is 1.1.1 or lower (the vulnerability affects versions up to 1.1.1)
  3. Verify book shortcode is registered
    Search plugin source files for 'add_shortcode' calls or inspect page content where [book] shortcode is used. Alternatively, query: SELECT * FROM wp_posts WHERE post_content LIKE '%[book%' AND post_status = 'publish';
    Affected if The book shortcode is actively registered and available in published content
  4. Check for contributor-level or higher user accounts
    Query user roles from WordPress: SELECT user_id, meta_value FROM wp_usermeta WHERE meta_key = 'wp_capabilities' AND meta_value LIKE '%contributor%' OR meta_value LIKE '%author%' OR meta_value LIKE '%editor%' OR meta_value LIKE '%administrator%';
    Affected if Any authenticated user with Contributor, Author, Editor, or Administrator role exists in the environment

Environment is affected if LT Unleashed plugin versions 1.1.1 or below are installed and active, with the book shortcode available and at least one Contributor-level or higher user account present.

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

Immediately update the LT Unleashed plugin to the latest version once available, or implement input validation using basename() and whitelist validation to ensure only allowed template files can be loaded. As an interim measure, disable the plugin if updates are not available.

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
8.0 hours of engineering $1,440
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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-2025-13886 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

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