CVE-2025-25174: BeeTeam368 Extensions LFI Vulnerability

CVE-2025-25174 Overview

CVE-2025-25174 is a critical Local File Inclusion (LFI) vulnerability affecting the BeeTeam368 Extensions WordPress plugin. The vulnerability stems from improper control of filename parameters in PHP include or require statements, allowing attackers to include arbitrary local files on the server. This flaw enables unauthenticated remote attackers to read sensitive files, potentially leading to full system compromise.

Critical Impact

This vulnerability allows unauthenticated attackers to include arbitrary local files, potentially exposing sensitive configuration files, credentials, and enabling remote code execution through log poisoning or other file inclusion techniques.

Affected Products

• BeeTeam368 Extensions WordPress Plugin versions up to and including 1.9.4
• WordPress installations with the vulnerable BeeTeam368 Extensions plugin installed
• Web servers hosting WordPress sites with this plugin enabled

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-08-14 - CVE CVE-2025-25174 published to NVD
• 2025-08-14 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-25174

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-98 (Improper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement in PHP Program). The BeeTeam368 Extensions plugin fails to properly sanitize user-controlled input before using it in PHP file inclusion statements. This allows attackers to manipulate the file path parameter to include arbitrary files from the local filesystem.

The attack can be executed remotely over the network without requiring any authentication or user interaction. Furthermore, the scope of the vulnerability extends beyond the vulnerable component itself, potentially impacting other resources and systems on the server. This makes it particularly dangerous as attackers can leverage the LFI to read sensitive files such as wp-config.php, /etc/passwd, or application logs.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability lies in insufficient input validation and sanitization of user-supplied data that gets passed to PHP's include(), require(), include_once(), or require_once() functions. The plugin does not implement proper path traversal protections or whitelist-based file inclusion controls, allowing attackers to specify arbitrary file paths using directory traversal sequences such as ../ to navigate outside the intended directory structure.

Attack Vector

The vulnerability is exploited via network-based requests to the WordPress installation. An attacker can craft malicious HTTP requests containing path traversal sequences to include files outside the plugin's intended scope. Since the vulnerability requires no authentication and no user interaction, it can be exploited by any remote attacker with network access to the target WordPress site.

Typical attack scenarios include:

• Reading the WordPress wp-config.php file to obtain database credentials
• Accessing /etc/passwd to enumerate system users
• Including PHP session files or log files to achieve remote code execution through log poisoning
• Exfiltrating sensitive application data and configuration files

The vulnerability can be chained with other techniques to escalate from file disclosure to full remote code execution, particularly if the attacker can inject PHP code into a file that can subsequently be included.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-25174

Indicators of Compromise

• Unusual HTTP requests containing path traversal sequences (../, ..%2f, %2e%2e/) targeting WordPress plugin endpoints
• Web server access logs showing requests to BeeTeam368 Extensions plugin files with suspicious path parameters
• Attempts to access sensitive files like wp-config.php, /etc/passwd, or log files through plugin endpoints
• Increased error log entries related to file inclusion failures or permission denied errors

Detection Strategies

• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block path traversal patterns in request parameters
• Monitor web server access logs for requests containing encoded or unencoded directory traversal sequences
• Deploy file integrity monitoring on critical WordPress and system configuration files
• Use intrusion detection systems (IDS) with signatures for LFI attack patterns

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable verbose logging on your WordPress installation and web server to capture detailed request information
• Set up alerts for access attempts to sensitive system files from web application contexts
• Monitor for unusual plugin activity or requests to the BeeTeam368 Extensions plugin directory
• Implement real-time log analysis to detect exploitation attempts before successful compromise

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-25174

Immediate Actions Required

• Deactivate and remove the BeeTeam368 Extensions plugin immediately if running version 1.9.4 or earlier
• Audit your WordPress installation for signs of compromise, particularly checking for unauthorized access to sensitive files
• Review web server access logs for evidence of exploitation attempts
• Consider implementing additional WAF rules to block path traversal attacks while investigating

Patch Information

Organizations should check for an updated version of the BeeTeam368 Extensions plugin that addresses this vulnerability. Monitor the Patchstack Vulnerability Report for the latest remediation guidance and patch availability. Until a patched version is available, removing the plugin is the recommended course of action.

Workarounds

• Disable or uninstall the BeeTeam368 Extensions plugin until a patched version is released
• Implement WAF rules to block requests containing path traversal sequences targeting the plugin
• Restrict file system permissions to limit the impact of potential file inclusion attacks
• Use PHP's open_basedir directive to restrict which directories PHP can access

# Configuration example - Restrict PHP file access using open_basedir in php.ini
# Add to your PHP configuration or .htaccess file
open_basedir = /var/www/html:/tmp

# Apache mod_security rule to block path traversal attempts
SecRule REQUEST_URI "../" "id:1001,phase:1,deny,status:403,msg:'Path traversal attempt blocked'"