CVE-2025-52811 Overview
CVE-2025-52811 is a path traversal vulnerability in the Creanncy Davenport - Versatile Blog and Magazine WordPress Theme. The flaw enables PHP Local File Inclusion (LFI) through the .../...// traversal pattern, which bypasses naive sanitizers that strip a single ../ sequence. All versions up to and including 1.3 are affected.
Successful exploitation lets an unauthenticated remote attacker include and execute arbitrary local PHP files on the server. This exposes site secrets stored in wp-config.php, session data, and any writable PHP file an attacker can plant through other channels.
Critical Impact
Unauthenticated remote attackers can read sensitive files and achieve PHP code execution by including local files through the theme's vulnerable file-handling logic.
Affected Products
- Creanncy Davenport - Versatile Blog and Magazine WordPress Theme, versions through 1.3
- WordPress installations using the Davenport theme as the active theme
- Sites where the vulnerable theme files remain accessible even when inactive
Discovery Timeline
- 2025-06-27 - CVE-2025-52811 published to NVD
- 2026-04-23 - Last updated in NVD database
Technical Details for CVE-2025-52811
Vulnerability Analysis
The Davenport theme contains a Path Traversal flaw classified under [CWE-35] (Path Traversal: .../...//). The theme accepts a user-controlled parameter that is concatenated into a filesystem path and passed to a PHP file inclusion function such as include or require.
The sanitization logic strips the literal substring ../ once, but does not loop. Supplying .../...// results in the inner ../ being removed, leaving a valid ../ sequence in the final path. An attacker walks out of the theme directory and includes any readable file on the host.
Because the inclusion uses PHP's include family, included content is parsed as PHP. Attackers chain this with log poisoning, session file injection, or php://filter wrappers to convert file disclosure into remote code execution.
Root Cause
The root cause is incomplete input filtering on a path parameter. The theme does not canonicalize the path with realpath() before inclusion and does not enforce an allowlist of permitted base directories. Single-pass string replacement of traversal sequences is bypassable by encoded or nested patterns.
Attack Vector
Exploitation occurs over the network without authentication or user interaction. An attacker issues an HTTP request to the vulnerable theme endpoint with a crafted path parameter containing the .../...// pattern. The high attack complexity reflects the need to identify a writable or interpretable target file to weaponize the inclusion. Refer to the Patchstack Vulnerability Report for advisory details.
Detection Methods for CVE-2025-52811
Indicators of Compromise
- HTTP requests to theme PHP files containing .../...//, ....//, or URL-encoded variants such as %2e%2e%2f
- Access log entries referencing wp-config.php, /etc/passwd, or /proc/self/environ as parameter values
- Unexpected outbound connections from the WordPress PHP worker processes following inclusion attempts
Detection Strategies
- Inspect web server access logs for requests to the Davenport theme directory containing traversal sequences
- Deploy WAF signatures matching nested traversal patterns including .../...// and double-encoded equivalents
- Monitor PHP error logs for failed to open stream warnings tied to theme files referencing absolute or parent paths
Monitoring Recommendations
- Alert on file integrity changes within wp-content/themes/davenport/
- Track PHP include/require calls referencing user-controlled paths via runtime application self-protection tooling
- Correlate suspicious GET parameters with subsequent process spawns from the web server user account
How to Mitigate CVE-2025-52811
Immediate Actions Required
- Deactivate and remove the Davenport theme from any WordPress instance running version 1.3 or earlier
- Rotate all secrets in wp-config.php, including database credentials and authentication keys, if exploitation is suspected
- Review access logs for the publication window of the vulnerability and isolate any host showing inclusion of sensitive files
Patch Information
No fixed version is identified in the public advisory at the time of NVD publication. The Patchstack Vulnerability Report tracks remediation status. Operators should switch to a maintained theme until a patched release is available.
Workarounds
- Place a WAF rule blocking requests with traversal patterns including ../, .../...//, and URL-encoded variants targeting theme paths
- Restrict PHP open_basedir to the WordPress installation directory to limit file disclosure scope
- Disable PHP wrappers such as php://filter and phar:// via disable_functions and allow_url_include = Off in php.ini
- Apply least-privilege filesystem permissions so the web server user cannot read system files outside the document root
# php.ini hardening to reduce LFI impact
allow_url_include = Off
allow_url_fopen = Off
open_basedir = "/var/www/html:/tmp"
disable_functions = "exec,passthru,shell_exec,system,proc_open,popen"
Disclaimer: This content was generated using AI. While we strive for accuracy, please verify critical information with official sources.
