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

CVE-2025-53210

HIGH · 7.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-08-20
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 bdthemes ZoloBlocks zoloblocks allows PHP Local File Inclusion.This issue affects ZoloBlocks: from n/a through <= 2.3.2.

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

Local File Inclusion (LFI) vulnerability in bdthemes ZoloBlocks WordPress plugin (versions <= 2.3.2) allows attackers to include arbitrary local PHP files due to improper control of filenames in include/require statements. This stems from insufficient input validation on file path parameters used in server-side includes.

MitigationUpdate ZoloBlocks to the latest version beyond 2.3.2 which should contain proper input validation and path sanitization for include/require statements, or temporarily disable the plugin if update is unavailable.

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. Verify ZoloBlocks plugin is installed
    Navigate to WordPress admin dashboard > Plugins > Installed Plugins. Look for 'ZoloBlocks' or 'bdthemes ZoloBlocks' in the list of active or inactive plugins.
    Affected if ZoloBlocks plugin appears in the installed plugins list, regardless of activation status
  2. Check installed ZoloBlocks version
    In WordPress admin > Plugins, find ZoloBlocks and view the version number displayed under the plugin name. Alternatively, inspect the plugin header in /wp-content/plugins/zoloblocks/zoloblocks.php for the 'Version' tag.
    Affected if Version number is 2.3.2 or lower
  3. Identify vulnerable include/require code paths
    Examine the ZoloBlocks plugin directory for PHP files containing include(), require(), include_once(), or require_once() statements that use variables for file paths without proper sanitization. Search for patterns like 'include($' or 'require($' in plugin PHP files.
    Affected if Plugin code contains dynamic include/require statements using unsanitized user input
  4. Review web server access logs for LFI indicators
    Search server access logs (typically in /var/log/apache2/access.log or similar) for requests to ZoloBlocks endpoints containing path traversal patterns such as '../', '..\', or absolute paths like '/etc/passwd'. Look for suspicious query parameters.
    Affected if Access logs show requests to ZoloBlocks with path traversal sequences or attempts to include system files

User is affected if ZoloBlocks plugin is installed with version 2.3.2 or lower and the vulnerable include/require code paths are present and accessible.

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

Update ZoloBlocks to the latest version beyond 2.3.2 which should contain proper input validation and path sanitization for include/require statements, or temporarily disable the plugin if update is unavailable.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

2.3.3 or latest available version

  1. 1. Verify the current installed version of bdthemes ZoloBlocks plugin by checking the plugin header or version file.
  2. 2. Backup the entire WordPress site including database and files before performing any updates.
  3. 3. Update ZoloBlocks to the latest available version from the WordPress plugin repository or bdthemes official source.
  4. 4. If a specific fixed version is identified (commonly 2.3.3 or later), update directly to that version.
  5. 5. After updating, verify the patch is applied by checking the plugin version and testing that the file inclusion vulnerability is no longer exploitable.
  6. 6. Review server access logs for any indicators of exploitation attempts prior to patching.
Caveat Review plugin changelog for any template or feature changes that may affect existing layouts

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
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
9.0 hours of engineering $1,600
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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-2025-53210 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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