CVE-2025-53432
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 Echo echo allows PHP Local File Inclusion.This issue affects Echo: from n/a through <= 1.15.0.
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 confidenceLocal File Inclusion (LFI) vulnerability in AncoraThemes Echo theme allows attackers to include arbitrary local files via unsanitized input to PHP include/require statements. This can lead to sensitive data exposure (e.g., reading /etc/passwd, configuration files) and potentially remote code execution if attacker-controlled files can be injected into the include path.
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 Echo theme is installedLocate the theme files by searching for 'echo' or ' AncoraThemes' in the WordPress themes directory (wp-content/themes/) or check the theme's style.css header for 'Theme Name: Echo' and 'Theme URI: ancorathemes.com'Affected if The Echo theme by AncoraThemes is present in the themes directory
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Determine the installed Echo theme versionOpen the style.css file in the Echo theme directory and locate the 'Version:' header in the theme comments. Compare this version against any known vulnerable versions if available from the vendor.Affected if The installed version is within a vulnerable release range (if specific versions are known)
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Identify file inclusion endpointsSearch the theme's PHP files for include, require, include_once, or require_once statements that use variables (e.g., include($file), require($_GET['param'])) without proper sanitization. Use grep: grep -rn 'include\|require' --include='*.php' .Affected if PHP files contain dynamic include/require statements using unsanitized user input
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Check for vulnerable parameter handlingReview any PHP files that accept file path parameters via GET/POST requests (look for $_GET, $_POST, $_REQUEST). Verify if these parameters are passed directly to include/require without validation using functions like basename(), realpath(), or whitelist checks.Affected if File path parameters are used in include/require without validation or sanitization
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Inspect configuration for path traversal protectionExamine the theme's PHP files that handle file inclusion for input validation routines. Look for presence of basename(), realpath(), or whitelist validation before file inclusion. If absent, the vulnerability is present.Affected if File inclusion logic lacks input validation functions like basename() or whitelist checks
A user is affected if the AncoraThemes Echo theme is installed and contains PHP file inclusion code that uses unsanitized user-supplied input without validation.
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 whitelist approach for any file inclusion parameters, use basename() to strip directory traversal sequences, and ensure all include/require statements use hardcoded paths rather than user-supplied input. Consider disabling or removing the vulnerable file inclusion functionality if not required.
- 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-2025-53432 — 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-2025-53432 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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