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

CVE-2025-49886

HIGH · 8.1 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-06-27
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
90/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges 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 WebGeniusLab Zikzag Core zikzag-core allows PHP Local File Inclusion.This issue affects Zikzag Core: from n/a through <= 1.4.5.

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

A Local File Inclusion (LFI) vulnerability in WebGeniusLab Zikzag Core allows attackers to include arbitrary local PHP files via unsanitized user input in include/require statements. This can lead to disclosure of sensitive files, source code exposure, or potentially remote code execution if attacker-controlled files exist on the server.

MitigationImplement strict input validation and whitelisting for any parameters used in include/require statements; use basename() and realpath() functions to prevent directory traversal; consider migrating to a modern framework that avoids dynamic file inclusion.

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 checks

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

  1. Identify Zikzag Core installation
    Search for files or directories named 'zikzag', 'Zikzag', or 'zikzag-core' in your web root, typically under wp-content/themes or wp-content/plugins. Check theme/style.css headers or plugin main files for 'Zikzag Core' or 'WebGeniusLab'.
    Affected if Zikzag Core by WebGeniusLab is present in your environment
  2. Determine the installed version
    Locate the main version file or file header for Zikzag Core. For themes, check style.css in the theme root for the 'Version:' comment. For plugins, check the main plugin PHP file header. Note the exact version number reported.
    Affected if The installed version falls within the affected range or is unknown/unlisted (compare your version to any published affected ranges)
  3. Locate dynamic file inclusion code
    Search the Zikzag Core source code for PHP include, include_once, require, or require_once statements that use variables without basename() or realpath() sanitization. Look for patterns like 'include($variable)', 'require($_GET[...])', or similar dynamic includes.
    Affected if Code contains include/require statements using unsanitized variables potentially controllable via user input
  4. Identify user input pathways to include statements
    Trace the variables used in the vulnerable include/require statements found in step 3. Determine if they can be influenced by HTTP request parameters (GET, POST, COOKIE). Check if the application filters or validates these inputs before reaching the include statement.
    Affected if User-supplied input (via URL parameters, form data, or cookies) can reach the include/require statement without sanitization

Your environment is affected if Zikzag Core is installed AND the vulnerable dynamic file inclusion pattern exists with user input reaching it without sanitization.

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 input validation and whitelisting for any parameters used in include/require statements; use basename() and realpath() functions to prevent directory traversal; consider migrating to a modern framework that avoids dynamic file inclusion.

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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Scan for this in your stack

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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-2025-49886 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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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
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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