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

CVE-2025-39463

HIGH · 7.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-11-06
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 Select-Themes Dessau dessau allows PHP Local File Inclusion.This issue affects Dessau: from n/a through < 1.9.

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 Dessau WordPress theme by Select-Themes contains a PHP Local File Inclusion (LFI) vulnerability due to improper control of filenames used in include/require statements. An attacker could potentially exploit this to include arbitrary local PHP files, potentially leading to remote code execution depending on server configuration and file permissions.

MitigationUpgrade to Dessau version 1.9 or later. If no update is available, audit the theme code for unsafe use of user-supplied input in include/require statements and implement strict input validation using whitelists or basename() functions to restrict file paths.

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. Identify Dessau theme version
    Locate the style.css file in the Dessau theme directory (typically /wp-content/themes/dessau/) and read the version header in the CSS comment block at the top. Alternatively, check the version defined in the theme's functions.php file.
    Affected if The version is lower than 1.9 (e.g., 1.8, 1.7, 1.6, etc.) or if no version is explicitly stated and the theme has not been updated recently.
  2. Search for unsafe include/require patterns
    Inspect all PHP files within the Dessau theme directory for code that uses include, include_once, require, or require_once with user-supplied input. Look for patterns such as include($_GET['parameter']), include($_REQUEST['file']), or similar constructs where file paths are derived from superglobal arrays without validation.
    Affected if Any PHP file in the theme contains include/require statements that directly use $_GET, $_POST, or $_REQUEST variables without sanitization.
  3. Check for file path validation
    Examine any include/require statements in the theme that accept dynamic file paths. Verify whether the code uses validation functions such as basename(), realpath(), or whitelist-based checks to restrict which files can be included.
    Affected if The theme includes or requires files based on user input without using basename(), realpath(), or explicit whitelist validation to constrain the file path.
  4. Audit template files for dynamic includes
    Review template files (such as header.php, footer.php, page.php, single.php) and any files in the /includes/ or /inc/ subdirectories of the theme. Look for require_once or include_once calls that build file paths from request parameters.
    Affected if Any template or include file dynamically constructs file paths from user input without proper sanitization.

The environment is affected if the Dessau theme version is below 1.9 AND the theme code contains include/require statements that use unsanitized user-supplied input to construct file paths.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Upgrade to Dessau version 1.9 or later. If no update is available, audit the theme code for unsafe use of user-supplied input in include/require statements and implement strict input validation using whitelists or basename() functions to restrict file paths.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Dessau version 1.9

  1. 1. Verify the current version of the Dessau theme installed on your system
  2. 2. Check if the installed version is below 1.9
  3. 3. If vulnerable, update to Dessau version 1.9 or later which contains the security fix
  4. 4. After updating, verify the fix by testing the previously vulnerable file inclusion functionality
  5. 5. Review application logs for any exploitation attempts
Caveat No specific breaking changes documented for this security update

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
11.0 hours of engineering $1,930
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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-2025-39463 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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