CVE-2026-28057
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 ThemeREX Mandala mandala allows PHP Local File Inclusion.This issue affects Mandala: from n/a through <= 2.8.
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 in ThemeREX Mandala theme (version <= 2.8) allows attackers to include arbitrary local PHP files by manipulating file path parameters in include/require statements without proper validation.
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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Identify if ThemeREX Mandala theme is installedSearch the web server's themes directory (typically wp-content/themes/) for a folder named 'mandala', 'trx_mandala', or similar ThemeREX Mandala theme directory. Check theme style.css header or theme functions.php for the theme name and version declaration.Affected if ThemeREX Mandala theme files are found on the server
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Locate the vulnerable file inclusion codeSearch theme PHP files for include(), require(), include_once(), or require_once() statements that use variables or parameters without proper sanitization. Look for patterns like 'include($_GET[...])' or 'require($param)' in files within the theme directory.Affected if Unsanitized include/require calls that accept user-controlled input are found in theme files
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Identify the vulnerable parameterExamine the identified include/require calls to determine which $_GET, $_POST, or other input parameters control the file path being included. Common parameter names may include 'file', 'path', 'page', 'template', 'load', or similar.Affected if A GET/POST parameter directly controls the file path in an include/require statement without validation
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Test for directory traversal vulnerabilityIf a parameter is identified, verify if the application allows directory traversal by attempting to include a file outside the theme directory, such as ../../../../../../etc/passwd or ../../wp-config.php (do this only in authorized testing environments).Affected if The application allows inclusion of files outside the intended theme directory via manipulated path parameters
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Check for basename() or input validationReview the code around the include/require statements to determine if basename(), realpath(), or any input validation/whitelisting is applied to the parameter before use.Affected if No basename(), realpath(), or validation is applied before the file inclusion, leaving the path controllable by attackers
If ThemeREX Mandala theme is installed and contains include/require statements that use unsanitized user input to control file paths without basename() validation, the environment is affected by this LFI vulnerability.
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 dataSanitize and validate all user-supplied input used in include/require statements using allowlist-based validation, and disable allow_url_include in PHP configuration.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation4.0 h
- Testing3.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
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Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2026-28057 — 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-2026-28057 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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- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
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