CVE-2025-53436
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 BZOTheme Monki monki allows PHP Local File Inclusion.This issue affects Monki: from n/a through <= 2.0.5.
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 · moderate confidenceBZOTheme Monki through version 2.0.5 contains a PHP Local File Inclusion (LFI) vulnerability where user-supplied input is improperly validated before being used in include/require statements. This allows attackers to manipulate file paths and potentially execute arbitrary PHP code on the server.
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 BZOTheme Monki is installedSearch your web server document root for files containing 'Monki' theme or BZOTheme branding. Look for directories named 'monki', 'bzotheme', or files containing 'BZOTheme' or 'Monki' in the filename.Affected if BZOTheme Monki theme files are found on the server
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Determine the installed versionCheck for a version file, changelog, or readme.txt within the Monki theme directory. Common locations include version.php, info.xml, or a readme/readme.txt file in the theme root.Affected if The installed version is 2.0.5 or lower (any version up to and including 2.0.5)
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Locate file inclusion codeSearch the Monki theme source code for PHP include, require, include_once, or require_once statements. Focus on those using variables or request parameters in the file path.Affected if The code uses variables or user input directly in include/require statements without validation
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Inspect input handling for file pathsExamine how user-supplied parameters (GET, POST, COOKIE) are used in file inclusion functions. Look for patterns like include($_GET['page']) or require($file).Affected if User-controlled input flows directly to include/require without sanitization like basename() or realpath()
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Check PHP configurationReview the php.ini setting for allow_url_include. It should be set to Off.Affected if allow_url_include is enabled (On)
You are affected if BZOTheme Monki version 2.0.5 or lower is installed AND the application uses user input in file inclusion paths without proper 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 whitelist-based input validation for file inclusion paths, use basename() and realpath() to normalize and validate requested paths, and ensure allow_url_include is disabled. Upgrade to the latest patched version if available.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation8.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA3.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $5,408.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-53436 — 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-2025-53436 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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