CVE-2026-28121
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 Anderson andersonclinic allows PHP Local File Inclusion.This issue affects Anderson: from n/a through <= 1.4.2.
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 AncoraThemes Anderson theme (andersonclinic component) through version 1.4.2. The vulnerability stems from improper control of filenames in include/require statements, allowing attackers to manipulate file paths and potentially execute arbitrary PHP code or access sensitive files on the server.
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.
-
Identify if Anderson theme is installedLocate the anderson theme files in the web application's theme directory (commonly wp-content/themes/anderson or similar)Affected if The Anderson theme by AncoraThemes is present in the environment
-
Determine the installed Anderson theme versionOpen the theme's main stylesheet (style.css) or version file and locate the version declaration headerAffected if The version is 1.4.2 or any version lower than 1.4.2 (no fixed version is specified in the advisory)
-
Verify if andersonclinic component is presentSearch the theme directory for files or folders named 'andersonclinic' or 'clinic' that contain PHP include/require logicAffected if The andersonclinic component exists and handles file inclusions
-
Inspect file inclusion logic for user-controlled inputExamine PHP files in the andersonclinic component for include(), require(), include_once(), or require_once() statements where parameters are derived from request inputs (e.g., $_GET, $_POST, $_REQUEST)Affected if File inclusion statements accept unsanitized user input that can be manipulated to traverse file paths
-
Test for LFI vulnerability (if authorized)If you have authorization, attempt to include a known file using a manipulated path parameter (e.g., passing ../../../../etc/passwd or a null byte sequence)Affected if The application returns contents of files outside the intended directory or executes unintended PHP files
You are affected if the Anderson theme (andersonclinic component) version is 1.4.2 or lower and the component uses user-supplied input in include/require statements without proper sanitization.
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 the Anderson theme to the latest version available from AncoraThemes, or if no update exists, implement input validation using a strict allowlist for file paths and remove or properly sanitize any user-controlled input in include/require statements.
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation3.0 h
- Testing2.0 h
- Review / QA1.0 h
An estimate, not a bill — we confirm scope with you before any work starts. Need it this week? Rush from $2,272.
Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2026-28121 — 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-2026-28121 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
Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.
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.
- Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
- Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
- No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
- No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data