CatwalkWordPress extension · Axiomthemes
CVE-2025-53445
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 Catwalk catwalk allows PHP Local File Inclusion.This issue affects Catwalk: from n/a through <= 1.4.
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 confidenceThe Catwalk theme by axiomthemes contains a PHP Local File Inclusion (LFI) vulnerability caused by improper control of filenames in include/require statements. This allows attackers to manipulate file path parameters to include arbitrary PHP files from the server, potentially leading to 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
CatwalkWordPress extension
<= 1.4CVSS 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 Catwalk theme is installedLocate the Catwalk theme directory in your WordPress installation, typically under wp-content/themes/Affected if The Catwalk theme by axiomthemes is present in the themes directory
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Determine the installed versionCheck the theme's style.css or functions.php file for the 'Version:' header, or check for a version.php file within the themeAffected if The version is 1.4 or lower
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Find dynamic include/require statementsSearch theme PHP files for include, include_once, require, or require_once statements that use variables in the file path (e.g., include($_GET['...']) or include($var) )Affected if The theme contains include/require statements that dynamically construct file paths from user-controlled input
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Identify exposed parametersExamine URL parameters used in include/require statements to determine if they are accessible via HTTP requestsAffected if Parameters controlling file inclusion are reachable via HTTP GET/POST requests without authentication
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Verify the vulnerability is exploitableTest whether the parameter can be manipulated to include files outside the intended directory (e.g., using ../../ to traverse paths)Affected if The file inclusion parameter allows path traversal and includes arbitrary PHP files from the server
Your environment is affected if the Catwalk theme version is 1.4 or lower AND the theme exposes vulnerable include/require statements that accept user-controlled file path parameters via HTTP requests.
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 allowlists, avoid dynamic file inclusion based on user input, and refactor vulnerable include/require statements to use static file paths.
Fix this in Catwalk
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation6.0 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 $3,984.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-53445 — 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-2025-53445 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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