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

CVE-2026-28027

HIGH · 8.1 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-03-05
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 ThemeREX Kayon kayon allows PHP Local File Inclusion.This issue affects Kayon: from n/a through <= 1.3.

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 vulnerability in ThemeREX Kayon theme versions up to 1.3 allows attackers to include arbitrary local files via improper input validation in include/require statements, potentially enabling remote code execution.

MitigationImplement strict input validation on all file inclusion parameters, use allowlist validation for permitted files, and ensure include/require paths are restricted to expected directories.

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. Identify ThemeREX Kayon theme installation
    Check the theme directory for the ThemeREX Kayon theme - typically found in wp-content/themes/kayon or similar path. Look for a style.css file containing 'Theme Name: Kayon' or 'ThemeREX Kayon'
    Affected if ThemeREX Kayon theme is present in the WordPress themes directory
  2. Determine installed theme version
    Open the theme's style.css file and locate the 'Version:' declaration in the header comment section
    Affected if The version number is 1.3 or lower, or if no version is declared and the theme appears to be the Kayon theme (it is likely vulnerable)
  3. Locate dynamic include/require statements
    Search theme PHP files for patterns like 'include($_', 'require($_', 'include_once($_', 'require_once($_' - especially in files within the theme's include/ or framework/ directories
    Affected if Unsanitized dynamic includes using variables from request parameters (e.g., $_GET, $_POST, $_REQUEST) are found in theme files
  4. Test parameter-based file inclusion
    If vulnerable include statements are found, attempt a controlled test: access a page with a parameter that matches the vulnerable include (e.g., ?file=../../../../wp-config.php) to confirm LFI is possible
    Affected if The web application returns contents of arbitrary local files when the include parameter is manipulated, indicating the LFI is exploitable
  5. Check for sensitive file exposure
    Review if the web server has read access to sensitive files like wp-config.php, .env files, or other configuration files that may be included via the LFI
    Affected if The LFI can successfully read configuration or credential files outside the web root

A user is affected if the ThemeREX Kayon theme version is 1.3 or lower AND the theme contains dynamic include/require statements using unsanitized user input, which allows arbitrary local file inclusion.

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 on all file inclusion parameters, use allowlist validation for permitted files, and ensure include/require paths are restricted to expected directories.

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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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-2026-28027 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
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  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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