The SentinelOne Annual Threat Report - A Defenders Guide from the FrontlinesThe SentinelOne Annual Threat ReportGet the Report
Experiencing a Breach?Blog
Get StartedContact Us
SentinelOne
  • Platform
    Platform Overview
    • Singularity Platform
      Welcome to Integrated Enterprise Security
    • AI for Security
      Leading the Way in AI-Powered Security Solutions
    • Securing AI
      Accelerate AI Adoption with Secure AI Tools, Apps, and Agents.
    • How It Works
      The Singularity XDR Difference
    • Singularity Marketplace
      One-Click Integrations to Unlock the Power of XDR
    • Pricing & Packaging
      Comparisons and Guidance at a Glance
    Data & AI
    • Purple AI
      Accelerate SecOps with Generative AI
    • Singularity Hyperautomation
      Easily Automate Security Processes
    • AI-SIEM
      The AI SIEM for the Autonomous SOC
    • AI Data Pipelines
      Security Data Pipeline for AI SIEM and Data Optimization
    • Singularity Data Lake
      AI-Powered, Unified Data Lake
    • Singularity Data Lake for Log Analytics
      Seamlessly Ingest Data from On-Prem, Cloud or Hybrid Environments
    Endpoint Security
    • Singularity Endpoint
      Autonomous Prevention, Detection, and Response
    • Singularity XDR
      Native & Open Protection, Detection, and Response
    • Singularity RemoteOps Forensics
      Orchestrate Forensics at Scale
    • Singularity Threat Intelligence
      Comprehensive Adversary Intelligence
    • Singularity Vulnerability Management
      Application & OS Vulnerability Management
    • Singularity Identity
      Identity Threat Detection and Response
    Cloud Security
    • Singularity Cloud Security
      Block Attacks with an AI-Powered CNAPP
    • Singularity Cloud Native Security
      Secure Cloud and Development Resources
    • Singularity Cloud Workload Security
      Real-Time Cloud Workload Protection Platform
    • Singularity Cloud Data Security
      AI-Powered Threat Detection for Cloud Storage
    • Singularity Cloud Security Posture Management
      Detect and Remediate Cloud Misconfigurations
    Securing AI
    • Prompt Security
      Secure AI Tools Across Your Enterprise
  • Why SentinelOne?
    Why SentinelOne?
    • Why SentinelOne?
      Cybersecurity Built for What’s Next
    • Our Customers
      Trusted by the World’s Leading Enterprises
    • Industry Recognition
      Tested and Proven by the Experts
    • About Us
      The Industry Leader in Autonomous Cybersecurity
    Compare SentinelOne
    • Arctic Wolf
    • Broadcom
    • CrowdStrike
    • Cybereason
    • Microsoft
    • Palo Alto Networks
    • Sophos
    • Splunk
    • Trellix
    • Trend Micro
    • Wiz
    Verticals
    • Energy
    • Federal Government
    • Finance
    • Healthcare
    • Higher Education
    • K-12 Education
    • Manufacturing
    • Retail
    • State and Local Government
  • Services
    Managed Services
    • Managed Services Overview
      Wayfinder Threat Detection & Response
    • Threat Hunting
      World-Class Expertise and Threat Intelligence
    • Managed Detection & Response
      24/7/365 Expert MDR Across Your Entire Environment
    • Incident Readiness & Response
      DFIR, Breach Readiness, & Compromise Assessments
    Support, Deployment, & Health
    • Technical Account Management
      Customer Success with Personalized Service
    • SentinelOne GO
      Guided Onboarding & Deployment Advisory
    • SentinelOne University
      Live and On-Demand Training
    • Services Overview
      Comprehensive Solutions for Seamless Security Operations
    • SentinelOne Community
      Community Login
  • Partners
    Our Network
    • MSSP Partners
      Succeed Faster with SentinelOne
    • Singularity Marketplace
      Extend the Power of S1 Technology
    • Cyber Risk Partners
      Enlist Pro Response and Advisory Teams
    • Technology Alliances
      Integrated, Enterprise-Scale Solutions
    • SentinelOne for AWS
      Hosted in AWS Regions Around the World
    • Channel Partners
      Deliver the Right Solutions, Together
    • SentinelOne for Google Cloud
      Unified, Autonomous Security Giving Defenders the Advantage at Global Scale
    • Partner Locator
      Your Go-to Source for Our Top Partners in Your Region
    Partner Portal→
  • Resources
    Resource Center
    • Case Studies
    • Data Sheets
    • eBooks
    • Reports
    • Videos
    • Webinars
    • Whitepapers
    • Events
    View All Resources→
    Blog
    • Feature Spotlight
    • For CISO/CIO
    • From the Front Lines
    • Identity
    • Cloud
    • macOS
    • SentinelOne Blog
    Blog→
    Tech Resources
    • SentinelLABS
    • Ransomware Anthology
    • Cybersecurity 101
  • About
    About SentinelOne
    • About SentinelOne
      The Industry Leader in Cybersecurity
    • Investor Relations
      Financial Information & Events
    • SentinelLABS
      Threat Research for the Modern Threat Hunter
    • Careers
      The Latest Job Opportunities
    • Press & News
      Company Announcements
    • Cybersecurity Blog
      The Latest Cybersecurity Threats, News, & More
    • FAQ
      Get Answers to Our Most Frequently Asked Questions
    • DataSet
      The Live Data Platform
    • S Foundation
      Securing a Safer Future for All
    • S Ventures
      Investing in the Next Generation of Security, Data and AI
  • Pricing
Get StartedContact Us
CVE Vulnerability Database
Vulnerability Database/CVE-2025-23948

CVE-2025-23948: Background Animation Blocks LFI Flaw

CVE-2025-23948 is a PHP Local File Inclusion vulnerability in Webarea Background animation blocks plugin affecting versions up to 2.1.5. Attackers can exploit path traversal flaws to include local files. This article covers technical details, affected versions, security impact, and mitigation strategies.

Updated: May 14, 2026

CVE-2025-23948 Overview

CVE-2025-23948 is a Local File Inclusion (LFI) vulnerability in the Webarea Background animation blocks WordPress plugin. The flaw stems from improper control of filenames used in PHP include or require statements [CWE-98]. Affected versions include all releases up to and including 2.1.5. Unauthenticated attackers can exploit the issue over the network to include arbitrary local PHP files, leading to code execution within the WordPress process. The vulnerability impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the host site.

Critical Impact

Successful exploitation allows unauthenticated attackers to include and execute arbitrary local PHP files on a vulnerable WordPress site, enabling site takeover.

Affected Products

  • Webarea Background animation blocks plugin for WordPress
  • All versions from initial release through 2.1.5
  • WordPress sites with the background-animation-blocks plugin installed and active

Discovery Timeline

  • 2025-01-22 - CVE-2025-23948 published to the National Vulnerability Database
  • 2026-04-23 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-23948

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability is classified under [CWE-98] as Improper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement in PHP Program. The background-animation-blocks plugin accepts attacker-influenced input and uses it within a PHP file inclusion path without adequate validation. This allows an attacker to coerce the plugin into loading arbitrary local files as PHP code.

The EPSS score of 1.258% places this issue in the 79th percentile for exploitation likelihood. Although no public proof of concept is recorded in the enriched data, LFI flaws in WordPress plugins are routinely weaponized once disclosed. Exploitation does not require authentication or user interaction.

Root Cause

The plugin constructs a filesystem path used by a PHP include or require call from request-controlled data. Missing allowlist validation and sanitization permit traversal sequences and unexpected file targets to reach the inclusion call. PHP then parses any included file as code, regardless of its intended purpose.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based with high attack complexity. An unauthenticated attacker sends a crafted HTTP request to the vulnerable WordPress endpoint exposed by the plugin. The request supplies a manipulated filename parameter that is concatenated into the include path. On execution, the targeted local file is parsed as PHP, granting code execution in the web server context.

No verified exploit code is published in the referenced sources. See the Patchstack WordPress Vulnerability Report for vendor-confirmed technical details.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-23948

Indicators of Compromise

  • HTTP requests to plugin endpoints containing path traversal sequences such as ../, ..%2f, or encoded null bytes
  • Web server access logs showing parameters referencing sensitive files like wp-config.php, /etc/passwd, or /proc/self/environ
  • Unexpected PHP errors or warnings referencing include() or require() failures from the background-animation-blocks plugin directory
  • New or modified PHP files in plugin or uploads directories following suspicious requests

Detection Strategies

  • Inspect web server and WordPress logs for requests targeting background-animation-blocks plugin paths with filename parameters
  • Deploy web application firewall rules that flag path traversal patterns and PHP wrapper schemes such as php://filter and php://input
  • Run plugin inventory checks across managed WordPress instances to enumerate installs at version 2.1.5 or earlier
  • Compare file integrity baselines for the WordPress installation to identify unauthorized PHP files

Monitoring Recommendations

  • Forward WordPress, PHP-FPM, and web server logs to a centralized SIEM for correlation and retention
  • Alert on outbound network connections initiated by the web server process to uncommon destinations after plugin requests
  • Monitor process creation events on the host where the web server spawns shells, package managers, or scripting interpreters
  • Track changes to administrator accounts and scheduled tasks within the WordPress database

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-23948

Immediate Actions Required

  • Identify any WordPress site running background-animation-blocks version 2.1.5 or earlier and place it behind a WAF or disable the plugin
  • Review web access logs for prior exploitation attempts against plugin endpoints
  • Rotate WordPress administrator passwords, API keys, and database credentials if exploitation is suspected
  • Restore from a known-good backup if unauthorized PHP files or accounts are discovered

Patch Information

No fixed version is identified in the enriched CVE data; the advisory lists all versions through 2.1.5 as affected. Administrators should monitor the Patchstack WordPress Vulnerability Report and the plugin's WordPress.org listing for a patched release. Until a vendor patch is available, removing the plugin is the most reliable remediation.

Workarounds

  • Deactivate and uninstall the background-animation-blocks plugin until a patched version is released
  • Apply WAF signatures that block path traversal, PHP wrapper schemes, and null-byte sequences in HTTP parameters
  • Restrict PHP open_basedir and disable_functions to limit the impact of file inclusion
  • Enforce least-privilege filesystem permissions so the web server cannot read sensitive configuration files outside the WordPress root
bash
# Configuration example: harden php.ini against LFI impact
open_basedir = "/var/www/html:/tmp"
allow_url_include = Off
allow_url_fopen = Off
expose_php = Off

Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.

  • Vulnerability Details
  • TypePath Traversal

  • Vendor/TechBackground Animation Blocks

  • SeverityHIGH

  • CVSS Score8.1

  • EPSS Probability1.26%

  • Known ExploitedNo
  • CVSS Vector
  • CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
  • Impact Assessment
  • ConfidentialityHigh
  • IntegrityNone
  • AvailabilityHigh
  • CWE References
  • CWE-98
  • Technical References
  • Patchstack WordPress Vulnerability Report
  • Latest CVEs
  • CVE-2026-43328: Linux Kernel Use-After-Free Vulnerability

  • CVE-2026-43329: Linux Kernel Netfilter DoS Vulnerability

  • CVE-2026-43330: Linux Kernel Buffer Overflow Vulnerability

  • CVE-2026-43331: Linux Kernel DOS Vulnerability
Default Legacy - Prefooter | Experience the World’s Most Advanced Cybersecurity Platform

Experience the Most Advanced Cybersecurity Platform

See how the world’s most intelligent, autonomous cybersecurity platform can protect your organization today and into the future.

Try SentinelOne
  • Get Started
  • Get a Demo
  • Product Tour
  • Why SentinelOne
  • Pricing & Packaging
  • FAQ
  • Contact
  • Contact Us
  • Customer Support
  • SentinelOne Status
  • Language
  • Platform
  • Singularity Platform
  • Singularity Endpoint
  • Singularity Cloud
  • Singularity AI-SIEM
  • Singularity Identity
  • Singularity Marketplace
  • Purple AI
  • Services
  • Wayfinder TDR
  • SentinelOne GO
  • Technical Account Management
  • Support Services
  • Verticals
  • Energy
  • Federal Government
  • Finance
  • Healthcare
  • Higher Education
  • K-12 Education
  • Manufacturing
  • Retail
  • State and Local Government
  • Cybersecurity for SMB
  • Resources
  • Blog
  • Labs
  • Case Studies
  • Videos
  • Product Tours
  • Events
  • Cybersecurity 101
  • eBooks
  • Webinars
  • Whitepapers
  • Press
  • News
  • Ransomware Anthology
  • Company
  • About Us
  • Our Customers
  • Careers
  • Partners
  • Legal & Compliance
  • Security & Compliance
  • Investor Relations
  • S Foundation
  • S Ventures

©2026 SentinelOne, All Rights Reserved.

Privacy Notice Terms of Use

English