CVE-2026-24531
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 Select-Themes Prowess prowess allows PHP Local File Inclusion.This issue affects Prowess: from n/a through <= 2.3.
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 (LFI) vulnerability exists in the Select-Themes Prowess theme (versions <= 2.3). The vulnerability stems from improper control of filenames in include/require statements, allowing attackers to manipulate path parameters to include arbitrary files from the server filesystem, potentially leading to sensitive data exposure or 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
- 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 checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Identify Prowess theme versionLocate the theme's style.css or version.php file in the wp-content/themes/prowess/ directory and read the version declarationAffected if version number is 2.3 or lower
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Locate file inclusion pointsSearch PHP files in the theme for include, require, include_once, or require_once statements that reference variables in the URL parameters (e.g., $_GET, $_POST)Affected if parameters like 'file', 'path', 'page', 'template', or 'slug' are used directly in inclusion functions without validation
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Inspect parameter handlingExamine the identified inclusion code for lack of input validation: check for absent basename(), realpath(), or whitelist validation before the include/requireAffected if user-supplied input is used directly in path parameters without sanitization functions
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Verify allow_url_include settingCheck php.ini or using phpinfo() for the allow_url_include directiveAffected if allow_url_include is enabled (though this is secondary for LFI, it would worsen the impact)
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Review web server logsInspect access logs for suspicious patterns like '../' traversal or attempts to include sensitive files (e.g., /etc/passwd, wp-config.php) targeting the theme's inclusion endpoints
You are affected if the Prowess theme version is 2.3 or lower and the theme contains file inclusion code that uses unsanitized user input from request parameters.
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 Prowess theme to the latest patched version. If no update is available, implement strict input validation on all file inclusion parameters using whitelist validation, sanitize paths with basename() and realpath(), and ensure allow_url_include is disabled in PHP configuration.
Latest available version of Prowess by Select-Themes (newer than 2.3)
- 1. Navigate to the theme directory for Prowess by Select-Themes on your WordPress installation
- 2. Identify all include/require statements in PHP files that use user-supplied input without proper sanitization
- 3. Implement strict input validation using basename() and allowlists to ensure only intended files can be included
- 4. Disable allow_url_include in PHP configuration (if not already disabled)
- 5. Consider deploying a WAF rule to block directory traversal patterns (e.g., ../, %2e%2e%2f)
- 6. Upgrade to the latest version of the Prowess theme as soon as a patched release is available
Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $3,088.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2026-24531 — 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-2026-24531 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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