CVE-2025-67981
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 thembay Besa besa allows PHP Local File Inclusion.This issue affects Besa: from n/a through <= 2.3.15.
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 Besa theme for thembay contains a PHP Local File Inclusion (LFI) vulnerability caused by improper control of filenames in include/require statements. Attackers can manipulate file inclusion paths to read sensitive local files or potentially achieve remote code execution depending on server configuration. The vulnerability affects all versions through 2.3.15.
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 Besa theme versionLocate the theme's style.css file (typically in /wp-content/themes/besa/) and look for the 'Version:' declaration in the file header comment. Alternatively, check theme.json or the theme's functions.php for a version constant.Affected if The installed version is 2.3.15 or lower, as all versions through 2.3.15 are affected.
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Find file inclusion code using unsanitized inputSearch the theme directory for PHP files containing include, require, include_once, or require_once statements that reference user-supplied parameters (e.g., $_GET, $_REQUEST) without sanitization. Common vulnerable patterns: include($_GET['file']); or require($file); where $file comes directly from input.Affected if Any file in the theme contains direct use of user input in inclusion functions without validation or path sanitization.
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Inspect the vulnerable inclusion handlerExamine the specific PHP file handling the inclusion (identified in step 2). Check if the parameter controlling the file path is filtered, sanitized, or restricted to an allowed directory. Look for functions like basename(), pathinfo(), or whitelist arrays.Affected if The parameter is used directly in the inclusion call without validation, or validation can be bypassed (e.g., using null bytes, path traversal sequences like ../).
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Check for path traversal vectorsReview how the inclusion parameter is processed. Even if some validation exists, test for path traversal patterns (../, ..\) that might allow escaping the intended directory. Look for code that strips or fails to block these sequences.Affected if The code permits path traversal characters in the inclusion parameter, allowing files outside the intended directory to be included.
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Review PHP configuration for remote inclusion riskCheck the php.ini setting allow_url_include. If enabled (set to On), this increases severity as attackers could include remote files. Also verify that open_basedir restrictions are not in place to limit file access.Affected if allow_url_include is On, or no open_basedir restriction exists, enabling broader file access.
A user is affected if the Besa theme version is 2.3.15 or lower and the theme contains PHP code that uses unsanitized user input in include/require statements, allowing manipulation of file paths.
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.
dbcve · scopedUpdate the Besa theme to the latest patched version as soon as available. Additionally, implement strict input validation and path sanitization on file inclusion parameters, disable allow_url_include in PHP configuration, and consider using whitelisting for allowed file paths.
Latest available Besa theme version (above 2.3.15)
- 1. Identify the current Besa theme version in use by checking the theme's style.css or version file
- 2. If the installed version is 2.3.15 or lower, it is vulnerable to Local File Inclusion
- 3. Obtain the latest version of the Besa theme from the official thembay source or theme marketplace
- 4. Before updating, perform a complete backup of the current theme files and database
- 5. Update the Besa theme to the latest available version (above 2.3.15)
- 6. Verify the update was successful by confirming the new version number
- 7. Test critical functionality to ensure the theme works correctly after the update
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation3.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2025-67981 — 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-2025-67981 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
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
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