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

CVE-2025-69074

HIGH · 8.1 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 →
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 AncoraThemes Pearson Specter pearsonspecter allows PHP Local File Inclusion.This issue affects Pearson Specter: from n/a through <= 1.11.3.

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 · moderate confidence

A PHP Local File Inclusion (LFI) vulnerability exists in the AncoraThemes Pearson Specter WordPress theme (versions <= 1.11.3). The vulnerability allows attackers to manipulate file inclusion paths through improper input validation in PHP include/require statements, potentially enabling unauthorized file reads or remote code execution.

MitigationUpdate the Pearson Specter theme to the latest patched version immediately. If no patched version is available, disable the theme and implement a WAF rule to block directory traversal patterns in request parameters as a temporary measure.

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. Confirm Pearson Specter theme is installed
    Navigate to WordPress admin dashboard > Appearance > Themes. Check if 'Pearson Specter' by AncoraThemes appears in the installed themes list.
    Affected if The Pearson Specter theme is present in the themes directory (typically /wp-content/themes/pearson-specter or similar naming).
  2. Determine installed theme version
    Access the theme's style.css file via file manager or by browsing to /wp-content/themes/[pearson-specter-folder]/style.css. Locate the 'Version:' header in the CSS file comments.
    Affected if The version number displayed is 1.11.3 or lower.
  3. Identify vulnerable file inclusion code
    Inspect PHP files in the theme directory for include(), require(), include_once(), or require_once() statements that use variables in the path (e.g., include($var), include($_GET['param'])). Search for patterns like 'include(' followed by a parameter or variable that could be user-controlled.
    Affected if PHP include/require statements using unsanitized user input (GET/POST parameters) are found in theme files.
  4. Verify exposure of vulnerable endpoints
    Test if the site exposes parameters that could trigger file inclusion by examining page source, theme template files, or using a web proxy to inspect requests. Look for URL parameters that might be passed to include/require functions.
    Affected if URL parameters are passed to include/require functions without validation, making the LFI exploitable via web requests.

You are affected if the Pearson Specter theme version is 1.11.3 or lower AND the theme contains PHP include/require statements using unsanitized user-supplied input that are accessible via web 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 the Pearson Specter theme to the latest patched version immediately. If no patched version is available, disable the theme and implement a WAF rule to block directory traversal patterns in request parameters as a temporary measure.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Latest version of Pearson Specter theme (version 1.12.0 or higher if available)

  1. Contact AncoraThemes directly or check their official distribution channels (themeforest.net or themeforest.net) for the latest version of the Pearson Specter theme
  2. Verify if version 1.12.0 or higher has been released as the fixed version
  3. Update to the latest available version of Pearson Specter theme
  4. After updating, verify the fix addresses the LFI vulnerability by reviewing theme changelog or release notes
  5. Ensure any custom implementations using include/require statements in the theme are reviewed for proper input validation
Caveat Check theme changelog for any breaking changes or template modifications before upgrading production sites

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

Have this fixed Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation4.0 h
  • Testing3.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
11.0 hours of engineering $1,930
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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-2025-69074 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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