CVE-2025-15368: SportsPress WordPress Plugin RCE Vulnerability

CVE-2025-15368 Overview

CVE-2025-15368 is a Local File Inclusion (LFI) vulnerability affecting the SportsPress plugin for WordPress in all versions up to and including 2.7.26. The vulnerability exists in the shortcode handling functionality, specifically through the template_name attribute, which allows authenticated attackers with contributor-level permissions or higher to include and execute arbitrary files on the server.

This vulnerability enables attackers to execute arbitrary PHP code by including malicious files, effectively bypassing access controls, extracting sensitive data, or achieving remote code execution when combined with the ability to upload PHP files to the target system.

Critical Impact

Authenticated attackers can achieve arbitrary code execution on vulnerable WordPress installations, potentially leading to complete site compromise, data theft, and lateral movement within the hosting environment.

Affected Products

• SportsPress WordPress Plugin versions up to and including 2.7.26
• WordPress installations using the affected SportsPress plugin versions
• Any WordPress site with contributor-level or above user access running vulnerable SportsPress versions

Discovery Timeline

• February 4, 2026 - CVE-2025-15368 published to NVD
• February 4, 2026 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-15368

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability resides in the SportsPress plugin's shortcode processing mechanism. The plugin fails to properly sanitize or validate the template_name attribute used in shortcodes before including template files. This insufficient input validation allows attackers to manipulate the file path and include arbitrary files from the server's filesystem.

When a user with at least contributor-level permissions creates or edits content containing SportsPress shortcodes, they can craft malicious template_name values that traverse the directory structure or point to attacker-controlled files. If the attacker can upload a PHP file through any means (such as exploiting a separate file upload vulnerability or using WordPress's media library with misconfigured restrictions), they can then include and execute that file through this LFI vulnerability.

The vulnerable code paths can be found in the plugin's shortcode handler class (class-sp-shortcodes.php) and core functions (sp-core-functions.php), where template inclusion occurs without adequate path validation or sanitization.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2025-15368 is improper input validation (CWE-98: Improper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement in PHP Program). The SportsPress plugin accepts user-supplied input through the template_name shortcode attribute and passes it to PHP's file inclusion functions without properly validating that the path resolves to an expected template file within the plugin's directory structure.

This design flaw allows path traversal sequences or absolute paths to be injected, causing the application to include files outside the intended template directory. The lack of a whitelist-based approach for valid template names or proper path canonicalization enables this attack vector.

Attack Vector

The attack is network-based and requires low-privileged authentication (contributor-level access) to the WordPress installation. An attacker would:

1. Obtain or create an account with at least contributor-level permissions on the target WordPress site
2. Create or edit a post/page containing a SportsPress shortcode
3. Manipulate the template_name attribute to include a path traversal sequence or reference an attacker-controlled file
4. When the content is rendered, the malicious file is included and any PHP code within it is executed

The vulnerability can be combined with other attack techniques such as uploading a PHP file disguised as an image or leveraging existing files with controllable content (log poisoning) to achieve code execution. Technical details of the vulnerable code paths can be found in the WordPress Plugin Code References and the Wordfence Vulnerability Analysis.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-15368

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual shortcode attributes in WordPress posts or pages containing path traversal sequences (e.g., ../, ..\\)
• Web server access logs showing requests for content pages that result in inclusion of unexpected files
• PHP error logs indicating failed file inclusion attempts or warnings about included files outside expected directories
• New or modified posts from contributor accounts containing SportsPress shortcodes with suspicious template_name values

Detection Strategies

• Monitor WordPress audit logs for shortcode modifications by contributor-level users, specifically focusing on SportsPress shortcodes with unusual template_name attributes
• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect path traversal patterns in POST data during content creation
• Review PHP error logs for include/require warnings referencing unexpected file paths
• Use file integrity monitoring to detect unauthorized PHP files being created in uploadable directories

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable comprehensive logging for WordPress content modifications and track shortcode usage patterns
• Deploy endpoint detection solutions like SentinelOne to monitor for suspicious PHP process execution chains
• Implement real-time alerting for WAF rule triggers related to path traversal or LFI attempts
• Regularly audit user accounts with contributor-level or higher permissions for suspicious activity

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-15368

Immediate Actions Required

• Update SportsPress plugin to a patched version beyond 2.7.26 as soon as one becomes available
• Audit all existing posts and pages for SportsPress shortcodes containing suspicious template_name values
• Review contributor-level and above user accounts for any signs of compromise or unauthorized access
• Consider temporarily deactivating the SportsPress plugin if it is not critical to site operations until a patch is available

Patch Information

Organizations using the SportsPress plugin should monitor the official WordPress plugin repository for security updates addressing this vulnerability. Check the WordPress Plugin Repository for updated versions and review the Wordfence Vulnerability Analysis for the latest remediation guidance.

Workarounds

• Restrict contributor-level and above permissions to trusted users only until the plugin is patched
• Implement WAF rules to block requests containing path traversal sequences in shortcode attributes
• Disable the ability for non-administrator users to use SportsPress shortcodes through WordPress capability management plugins
• Monitor and restrict PHP file uploads through WordPress media library and any other upload mechanisms

# WordPress wp-config.php hardening example
# Add these lines to restrict file editing and limit execution
define('DISALLOW_FILE_EDIT', true);
define('DISALLOW_FILE_MODS', true);

# Apache .htaccess rule to block PHP execution in uploads directory
# Add to /wp-content/uploads/.htaccess
# <FilesMatch "\.php$">
#     Deny from all
# </FilesMatch>