HarperWordPress extension · Axiomthemes
CVE-2025-53439
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 axiomthemes Harper harper allows PHP Local File Inclusion.This issue affects Harper: from n/a through <= 1.13.
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 confidenceThe Harper WordPress theme by axiomthemes contains a Local File Inclusion (LFI) vulnerability due to improper control of filenames in include/require statements. This allows attackers to include arbitrary local PHP files through unsanitized user input, potentially leading to remote code execution.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data
HarperWordPress extension
<= 1.13CVSS 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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Verify Harper theme is installedCheck the WordPress themes directory (wp-content/themes/) for a folder named 'harper' or 'axiomthemes-harper'. In the WordPress admin dashboard, go to Appearance > Themes to see if Harper is listed as installed or active.Affected if The Harper theme by axiomthemes is present in the themes directory or shown as installed in WordPress admin.
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Determine Harper theme versionOpen the theme's style.css file located in wp-content/themes/harper/ and look for the 'Version:' comment in the file header. Alternatively, check a readme.txt file in the theme directory if one exists.Affected if The version line shows a number less than or equal to 1.13, or no version is specified (which typically indicates an unpatched older release).
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Identify vulnerable include/require patternsSearch all PHP files in the theme directory for include(), require(), include_once(), or require_once() statements that use variables or parameters directly without sanitization. Look for patterns like 'include($_GET[...])' or 'require($var)' where user input could control the file path.Affected if Any PHP file in the theme contains include/require statements that use unsanitized user input (such as $_GET, $_POST, or $_REQUEST parameters) to construct file paths.
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Check for the specific vulnerable parameterReview the theme's PHP files for file inclusion logic that accepts user input (commonly via 'file', 'path', 'template', 'page', or similar query parameters) and passes it directly to include/require functions without validation.Affected if The theme contains code that accepts a user-supplied parameter and uses it in an include/require statement without proper allowlist validation or sanitization.
A user is affected if the Harper theme version is 1.13 or lower AND the theme contains PHP files with include/require statements that use unsanitized user input to include local files.
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 dataFix the vulnerable include/require statements in the theme by implementing strict input validation using allowlists or by removing direct use of user input in file path operations; consider upgrading to a patched version once available.
Fix this in Harper
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,088.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-53439 — 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-2025-53439 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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