CVE-2025-2505
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 Age Gate plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Local PHP File Inclusion in all versions up to, and including, 3.5.3 via the 'lang' parameter. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to include and execute arbitrary PHP files on the server, allowing the execution of code in those files. This can be used to bypass access controls, obtain sensitive data, or achieve code execution in cases where images and other “safe” 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 Age Gate WordPress plugin versions up to 3.5.3 contains a Local PHP File Inclusion vulnerability via the 'lang' parameter, allowing unauthenticated attackers to include and execute arbitrary PHP files on the server, leading to 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
- Low
- Privileges
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Confirm Age Gate plugin is installedCheck WordPress plugins directory (wp-content/plugins/age-gate) or list installed plugins via WordPress admin or wp-cli: wp plugin list --name='age-gate'Affected if The plugin is installed and active
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Identify the installed versionRead the main plugin file header (wp-content/plugins/age-gate/age-gate.php) or use wp-cli: wp plugin get age-gate --format=json | jq '.version'Affected if Version is 3.5.3 or lower (vulnerable); version 3.5.4 or higher is patched
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Verify the vulnerable 'lang' parameter handling existsExamine the plugin's main PHP file for code that processes a 'lang' GET/POST parameter and includes files dynamically (look for patterns like include($_GET['lang']) or include($lang))Affected if Code handling the 'lang' parameter for file inclusion is present in the plugin
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Check for evidence of exploitation attemptsReview web server access logs for unusual requests to the Age Gate plugin endpoint with the 'lang' parameter pointing to non-standard paths (e.g., lang=../../wp-config.php or lang=/etc/passwd)Affected if Suspicious 'lang' parameter values are found in logs pointing to PHP files outside the plugin directory
The environment is affected if Age Gate plugin versions 3.5.3 or below are installed and the plugin processes the 'lang' parameter, allowing unauthenticated file inclusion.
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.
dbcve · scopedUpdate the Age Gate plugin to version 3.5.4 or later to patch the file inclusion vulnerability. If an update is unavailable, disable and remove the plugin immediately.
Age Gate version 3.5.4 or later
- Log in to WordPress admin dashboard
- Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins
- Locate the Age Gate plugin
- Click 'Update now' if an update is available, or manually upload version 3.5.4 or later of the Age Gate plugin
- Verify the update was successful by checking the plugin version
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation1.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing1.0 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 $1,200.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-2505 — 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-2025-2505 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