CVE-2025-49994
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 ovatheme Athens athens allows PHP Local File Inclusion.This issue affects Athens: from n/a through <= 1.1.6.
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 ovatheme Athens theme (versions up to 1.1.6) contains a PHP Local File Inclusion (LFI) vulnerability due to improper control of filenames in include/require statements. This allows remote attackers to include arbitrary local PHP files by manipulating input parameters, potentially leading to sensitive file disclosure or remote code execution in combination with other techniques.
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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Identify Athens theme installationSearch the web server document root for files belonging to the ovatheme Athens theme (commonly in wp-content/themes/athens for WordPress, or check theme directory for 'athens' name and ovatheme branding)Affected if The ovatheme Athens theme is installed on the server
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Locate PHP include/require statementsSearch theme PHP files for 'include(', 'require(', 'include_once(', 'require_once(' statements, especially in files within an 'include' directory if presentAffected if include/require statements exist that use dynamic file paths
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Check for user input in file inclusion functionsExamine the include/require statements found to determine if they accept variables from $_GET, $_POST, $_REQUEST, or other user-supplied sources without sanitization (e.g., include($_GET['page']) )Affected if User-controlled parameters are passed directly to include or require functions without validation
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Inspect request parameter handlingReview the code flow from request parameters to the include/require call - trace how $_GET['page'], $_POST['file'], or similar parameters are used in file inclusionAffected if URL or form parameters can control which file gets included without allowlist validation
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Verify lack of input validationSearch for functions like basename(), pathinfo(), or allowlist checks between the user input and the include/require statementAffected if No input validation, sanitization, or allowlist mechanism exists before the file inclusion
A user is affected if the Athens theme is installed AND user-supplied input can reach include/require statements without validation or allowlisting.
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 dataImplement strict input validation using an allowlist approach for any user-controlled input used in include/require statements, or refactor to use fixed inclusion paths without user input. If file inclusion based on user input is necessary, validate that the requested file matches expected patterns and is within an allowed directory.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation6.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-49994 — 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-2025-49994 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
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