CVE-2025-53431
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 AncoraThemes Emberlyn emberlyn allows PHP Local File Inclusion.This issue affects Emberlyn: from n/a through <= 1.3.1.
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 confidenceA Local File Inclusion (LFI) vulnerability exists in the AncoraThemes Emberlyn theme (versions through 1.3.1). The vulnerability allows attackers to manipulate file path parameters in PHP include/require statements to read arbitrary files on the server, potentially exposing sensitive configuration files, credentials, or source code.
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 if Emberlyn theme is installedLocate the theme directory - common paths include wp-content/themes/emberlyn or themes/emberlyn. Check for the presence of style.css or theme.json which typically contain theme metadata.Affected if The Emberlyn theme directory exists in the web root's theme folder.
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Determine the installed Emberlyn theme versionOpen the theme's main style.css file or theme.json and locate the 'Version:' header. Alternatively, check for a version constant in the theme's functions.php or index.php.Affected if The version number is 1.3.1 or lower.
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Locate PHP files that handle file path parametersSearch the theme directory for PHP files containing 'include', 'require', 'include_once', or 'require_once' statements that accept variable input, such as: include($_GET['...']), require($path), etc. Common files to inspect include template files, header.php, footer.php, and any custom template loaders.Affected if PHP files in the theme accept user-supplied path parameters in include/require statements without validation.
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Identify the vulnerable parameter entry pointsExamine the identified PHP files to determine which $_GET, $_POST, or $_REQUEST parameters are used to construct file paths in include/require statements. Look for parameters that accept file path or template name values.Affected if Parameters used in file inclusion statements are directly derived from user input without sanitization.
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Verify if the vulnerable code is reachable without authenticationTest accessing the suspected parameter endpoints (e.g., ?page=somefile, ?template=somepath) to confirm they are accessible to unauthenticated users.Affected if The file inclusion functionality is accessible to anonymous or unauthenticated users.
You are affected if the Emberlyn theme version is 1.3.1 or lower AND PHP files in the theme use user-supplied input in include/require statements without validation, allowing arbitrary file reads.
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 and allowlisting for file path parameters in PHP include/require statements, avoiding direct use of user-supplied input; consider upgrading to a patched version if available from the vendor.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-53431 — 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-2025-53431 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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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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