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PHP File Inclusion (RFI/LFI)Weakness · CWE-98

CVE-2025-64223

HIGH · 8.1 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-12-18
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
90/100
Remediation priority · Urgent
Remotely reachable No privileges Zero-click

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 · unedited
Improper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement in PHP Program ('PHP Remote File Inclusion') vulnerability in PenciDesign PenNews pennews allows PHP Local File Inclusion.This issue affects PenNews: from n/a through < 6.7.3.

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 confidence

This is a PHP Local File Inclusion (LFI) vulnerability (CWE-98) in the PenNews WordPress theme. The vulnerability allows attackers to include local files on the server due to improper control of filename parameters in PHP include/require statements, potentially leading to sensitive data disclosure or code execution.

MitigationUpdate PenNews theme to version 6.7.3 or later. If immediate update is not possible, implement input validation and whitelist-based controls on any user-controlled parameters used in include/require statements.

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 checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Verify PenNews theme is installed
    Navigate to Appearance > Themes in WordPress admin dashboard and confirm PenNews theme is active
    Affected if PenNews theme is installed and active on the WordPress site
  2. Identify installed PenNews version
    Check the style.css file in wp-content/themes/pennews/ for the 'Version:' header, or view theme details in WordPress admin under Appearance > Themes
    Affected if Installed version is lower than 6.7.3
  3. Inspect theme files for vulnerable include/require patterns
    Search theme PHP files (particularly in includes/ or functions/ directories) for include, require, include_once, or require_once statements that use variables without sanitization - look for patterns like 'include($variable)' or 'require($_GET['...'])'
    Affected if Theme contains include/require statements using unsanitized user-controlled parameters
  4. Check for exposed vulnerable parameters
    Review theme files for PHP code that passes request parameters (GET/POST) directly into include or require statements without validation
    Affected if Theme passes request parameters directly into include/require without input validation

A site is affected if it runs PenNews theme version below 6.7.3 and contains the vulnerable include/require code pattern that uses unsanitized input from user requests.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

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.

dbcve · scoped
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Update PenNews theme to version 6.7.3 or later. If immediate update is not possible, implement input validation and whitelist-based controls on any user-controlled parameters used in include/require statements.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

6.7.3 or later

  1. 1. Log in to the WordPress admin dashboard
  2. 2. Navigate to Appearance > Themes
  3. 3. Locate the PenNews theme
  4. 4. Check if an update is available for PenNews theme
  5. 5. If update available, click 'Update Now' to update to the latest version (minimum 6.7.3)
  6. 6. Alternatively, download PenNews version 6.7.3 or later from a trusted source (theme provider or WordPress repository)
  7. 7. Upload and install the updated theme files via Appearance > Themes > Add New > Upload Theme
  8. 8. After update, verify the site still functions correctly

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation1.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
8.0 hours of engineering $1,390
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2025-64223 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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What this is

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What belongs here
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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