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

CVE-2025-68905

HIGH · 7.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-01-22
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 jegtheme JNews - Pay Writer jnews-pay-writer allows PHP Local File Inclusion.This issue affects JNews - Pay Writer: from n/a through <= 11.0.0.

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 confidence

Local File Inclusion vulnerability in JNews Pay Writer theme allows attackers to control filenames used in PHP include/require statements. By manipulating input parameters, an attacker could include arbitrary local PHP files, potentially leading to sensitive data exposure or remote code execution depending on server configuration.

MitigationImplement strict input validation using basename() and whitelist validation on all file include parameters. Disable allow_url_include in php.ini and consider web application firewall rules as temporary protection until code fix is applied.

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. Confirm JNews Pay Writer theme is installed
    Locate the theme directory - typically in wp-content/themes/ and look for a folder named 'jnews-pay-writer' or similar Pay Writer theme. Check theme style.css header for the theme name.
    Affected if The JNews Pay Writer theme directory exists in the WordPress themes folder.
  2. Identify theme version
    Open the style.css file in the theme directory and check the 'Version:' header comment, or check version.php if available. Compare against any known affected versions.
    Affected if The installed version matches or falls within any known vulnerable version ranges for this CVE.
  3. Locate file inclusion code in theme
    Search theme PHP files for patterns like 'include(', 'require(', 'include_once(', 'require_once(' where the path is built from request parameters (e.g., $_GET, $_POST, $_REQUEST). Look for file inclusion without proper basename() or whitelist validation.
    Affected if Theme code contains file inclusion statements using unsanitized user input from URL parameters.
  4. Identify vulnerable parameters
    Review the found file inclusion code to determine which URL parameters (typically in $_GET or $_REQUEST) control the included file path. Test if these parameters accept arbitrary file paths.
    Affected if Parameters controlling file inclusion are accessible via URL and accept path traversal sequences like '../' or direct file paths.
  5. Check PHP configuration
    Review php.ini for allow_url_include setting. If enabled, this could allow remote file inclusion in addition to local file inclusion.
    Affected if allow_url_include is set to On in php.ini, potentially expanding the attack surface.

Your environment is affected if the JNews Pay Writer theme is installed and contains file inclusion code that uses unsanitized user-supplied parameters to control which files are included.

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.

From vendor data
Mitigation available No clean upgrade yet — mitigate in the meantime
Mitigation

Implement strict input validation using basename() and whitelist validation on all file include parameters. Disable allow_url_include in php.ini and consider web application firewall rules as temporary protection until code fix is applied.

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation3.0 h
  • Testing2.0 h
  • Review / QA1.0 h
8.0 hours of engineering $1,420
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Scan for this in your stack

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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-2025-68905 in production — separate from our analysis above.

No notes yet

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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
  • 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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