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

CVE-2025-64364

HIGH · 7.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2025-10-31
Mitigation only
No fix yet — a mitigation exists. There is no fixed release. A documented workaround reduces exposure in the meantime.
See remediation →
81/100
Remediation priority · High
Remotely reachable 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 StylemixThemes Masterstudy masterstudy allows PHP Local File Inclusion.This issue affects Masterstudy: from n/a through < 4.8.126.

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

The Masterstudy WordPress theme (versions before 4.8.126) contains a Local File Inclusion (LFI) vulnerability where the application improperly controls filenames used in PHP include/require statements. An attacker can manipulate the file path parameters to include arbitrary PHP files from the local filesystem, potentially leading to remote code execution if they can upload files or access sensitive configuration files.

MitigationUpgrade Masterstudy to version 4.8.126 or later. If immediate patching is not possible, review and restrict the include/require statements to use whitelisted file paths and implement strict input validation on all file-related parameters.

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
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/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. Check the installed Masterstudy theme version
    In WordPress admin panel, go to Appearance > Themes and look for Masterstudy. The version is displayed there. Alternatively, check the style.css file in the theme directory for the Version: header.
    Affected if The version is lower than 4.8.126 (e.g., 4.8.100, 4.7.5, etc.)
  2. Identify PHP include/require statements in the theme
    Search the theme files for include, require, include_once, or require_once statements that use variables or request parameters in the file path (e.g., include($_GET['file']); or include($path . 'file.php');). Use grep or a file search in wp-content/themes/masterstudy/.
    Affected if Any include/require statements accept user-controlled file paths without sanitization or whitelist validation.
  3. Locate file path parameters in HTTP requests
    Review the theme PHP files for parameters passed via GET or POST (such as 'file', 'path', 'template', 'page', 'lang') that are used in include/require statements. Test by attempting to manipulate these parameters in requests.
    Affected if Parameters like 'file', 'path', or 'template' can be manipulated to reference arbitrary local PHP files.
  4. Determine if file upload functionality exists
    Identify any file upload forms, AJAX endpoints, or media handling code within the theme. Check if uploaded files are stored in a web-accessible location.
    Affected if The theme has file upload capability that allows uploading PHP files to a web-accessible directory, which could be combined with LFI for remote code execution.
  5. Check access to sensitive configuration files
    Attempt to access common WordPress config files through the suspected LFI parameter (e.g., ../../wp-config.php or similar path traversal). Note: only attempt this in a non-production test environment.
    Affected if The LFI vulnerability allows reading sensitive files like wp-config.php through path traversal (e.g., using ../ sequences).

You are affected if the Masterstudy theme version is below 4.8.126 AND the theme code contains include/require statements that accept unsanitized file path parameters from user input.

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

Upgrade Masterstudy to version 4.8.126 or later. If immediate patching is not possible, review and restrict the include/require statements to use whitelisted file paths and implement strict input validation on all file-related parameters.

Recommended fix High confidence

4.8.126

  1. 1. Check the current installed version of the Masterstudy theme or plugin in your WordPress installation
  2. 2. Create a complete backup of your WordPress site (database and files) before performing any updates
  3. 3. Update Masterstudy to version 4.8.126 or the latest available version through your WordPress dashboard (Appearance > Themes or Plugins > Updates)
  4. 4. Alternatively, download the updated version from StylemixThemes official source and upload via FTP or WordPress upload
  5. 5. Verify the update was successful by confirming the version number in the admin panel
  6. 6. Test critical site functionality to ensure the update did not break existing features
  7. 7. If available, review the changelog or release notes for version 4.8.126 to confirm the LFI vulnerability is addressed
Caveat Check theme/plugin changelog for any breaking changes between your current version and 4.8.126 before upgrading in production

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

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation3.0 h
  • Implementation6.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
15.0 hours of engineering $2,640
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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-2025-64364 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

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