CVE-2025-69078
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 AncoraThemes Malta malta allows PHP Local File Inclusion.This issue affects Malta: from n/a through <= 1.3.3.
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 confidenceA PHP Local File Inclusion vulnerability exists in the Malta theme by AncoraThemes (versions <= 1.3.3) where improper control of filename for include/require statements allows attackers to include arbitrary PHP files, potentially leading to remote code execution.
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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Locate the Malta theme versionInspect the theme's style.css file (typically in /wp-content/themes/malta/) and look for the 'Version:' header in the CSS comment block at the top, or check theme.json if presentAffected if The version number displayed is 1.3.3 or lower
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Identify PHP include/require usage in the themeSearch the theme's PHP files (in /wp-content/themes/malta/) for 'include', 'require', 'include_once', or 'require_once' statements that use variables or parameters in the file pathAffected if The theme contains include/require statements where the file path is constructed from request parameters (like $_GET, $_POST, or similar) without proper sanitization
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Check for file inclusion endpointsReview any PHP files that handle URL parameters (search for $_GET, $_REQUEST, or similar superglobals) and pass them to include/require functionsAffected if There exists code that takes user input from URL parameters and passes it directly to include/require functions
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Verify allow_url_fopen settingCheck the PHP configuration file (php.ini) for the allow_url_fopen setting; also review any .htaccess or web.config PHP settingsAffected if allow_url_fopen is enabled (set to On) and the theme has vulnerable include/require paths that could accept remote URLs
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Inspect the specific vulnerable fileIf known, examine the specific file mentioned in theme documentation or changelog as handling file inclusions; look for patterns like 'include($_GET['file'])' or similar dynamic includesAffected if Dynamic file inclusion is found where user-controlled input determines which PHP file gets loaded
A defender is affected if the Malta theme version is 1.3.3 or lower AND the theme contains include/require statements that use unsanitized user input to determine which files to load.
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.
From vendor dataUpdate to a patched version of the Malta theme. If no update is available, implement strict input validation and whitelist-based filtering on all file include paths, disable allow_url_fopen and allow_url_include in PHP configuration, and audit all include/require statements for proper path sanitization.
- Consultation4.0 h
- Implementation12.0 h
- Testing6.0 h
- Review / QA4.0 h
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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 sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2025-69078 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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- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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