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

CVE-2025-27272

HIGH · 7.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-02-24
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
Improper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement in PHP Program ('PHP Remote File Inclusion') vulnerability in vinagecko VG PostCarousel vg-postcarousel allows PHP Local File Inclusion.This issue affects VG PostCarousel: from n/a through <= 1.1.

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

PHP Local File Inclusion vulnerability in vinagecko VG PostCarousel plugin allows attackers to include arbitrary local files via improper control of filename parameters in include/require statements. The vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation on file path parameters, potentially enabling attackers to read sensitive server files via directory traversal (e.g., ../../etc/passwd).

MitigationImplement strict whitelist-based input validation using basename() and realpath() to sanitize file inclusion parameters, ensuring only allowed files can be included. If a patched version exists, upgrade to the latest release.

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. Locate the VG PostCarousel plugin installation
    Search the web server document root for folders named 'vg-postcarousel', 'VG-PostCarousel', or similar case variations. Check common plugin directories like /wp-content/plugins/ for WordPress deployments, or /modules/ for other PHP applications.
    Affected if The plugin folder exists on the server and is actively loaded by the application.
  2. Identify the plugin version
    Check for a version file or header within the plugin directory, such as readme.txt, plugin.php comment block, or a version constant in the main PHP file. Compare the found version against any known affected version ranges.
    Affected if The installed version falls within the affected version range (or is unknown/unversioned, treating it as potentially vulnerable).
  3. Examine file inclusion code for input validation flaws
    Review PHP files in the plugin for include(), require(), include_once(), or require_once() statements. Search for dynamic file paths that concatenate user-supplied parameters (e.g., $_GET, $_POST, $_REQUEST) without sanitization using basename() or realpath().
    Affected if Dynamic file inclusion uses request parameters without proper path sanitization, allowing directory traversal sequences.
  4. Test for directory traversal vulnerability
    If the vulnerable parameter is identified, attempt a safe read test using a non-sensitive file path with traversal sequences (e.g., ../../index.php) via the suspected parameter. Observe if the file contents are returned in the response.
    Affected if The application returns contents of files outside the intended directory, confirming LFI is exploitable.

A user is affected if the VG PostCarousel plugin is installed and its code contains dynamic file inclusion that accepts user input without sanitization via basename() or realpath(), allowing directory traversal.

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

Implement strict whitelist-based input validation using basename() and realpath() to sanitize file inclusion parameters, ensuring only allowed files can be included. If a patched version exists, upgrade to the latest release.

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
7.0 hours of engineering $1,240
Get help mitigating

An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $1,984.

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally
dbcve dependency scanner

Check whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-27272 — 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 sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2025-27272 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

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
  • 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