CVE-2025-48157
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 · uneditedImproper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement in PHP Program ('PHP Remote File Inclusion') vulnerability in Michele Giorgi Formality formality allows PHP Local File Inclusion.This issue affects Formality: from n/a through <= 1.5.9.
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 · moderate confidenceThis is a PHP Local File Inclusion (LFI) vulnerability in Michele Giorgi's Formality plugin (versions through 1.5.9). The application fails to properly validate input used in include/require statements, allowing attackers to manipulate file path references to include arbitrary local PHP files. Successful exploitation can lead to sensitive file disclosure or remote code execution depending on server configuration.
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
- None
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/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 Formality plugin is installedLocate the Formality plugin directory in your CMS (commonly wp-content/plugins/formality or similar path structure) and identify the main plugin PHP fileAffected if The Formality plugin by Michele Giorgi is present in the system
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Check installed version numberOpen the main plugin file and locate the version declaration in the plugin header comment. Compare this version to 1.5.9Affected if The installed version is 1.5.9 or any earlier version (versions through 1.5.9 are affected)
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Examine file inclusion code for unsanitized inputSearch the plugin source code for include, require, include_once, or require_once statements. Identify any that use variables or request parameters without proper validationAffected if User-controllable input is used directly in include/require statements without validation
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Audit dynamic file path parametersReview GET/POST parameters handled by the plugin and identify any that control file paths in inclusion functions. Test for path traversal capabilityAffected if Parameters accepted by the plugin can manipulate file paths used in include/require operations
You are affected if the Formality plugin version is 1.5.9 or lower AND user-supplied input can reach include/require statements without sanitization
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 dataUpgrade to a patched version of Formality. If no patch is available, implement strict input validation and allowlisting for all file inclusion operations, avoid using user-supplied input directly in include/require statements, and consider disabling PHP execution in upload directories.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-48157 — 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-2025-48157 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
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