CVE-2025-53244: Magazine Elite LFI Vulnerability

CVE-2025-53244 Overview

CVE-2025-53244 is a PHP Local File Inclusion (LFI) vulnerability in the unfoldwp Magazine Elite WordPress theme. The flaw stems from Improper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement in a PHP Program [CWE-98]. It affects all versions of the magazine-elite theme up to and including 1.2.4. Unauthenticated attackers can manipulate include or require statements to load arbitrary local files through the web request path. Successful exploitation can expose sensitive configuration data and lead to code execution when attackers control includable PHP content on the server.

Critical Impact
Network-reachable attackers can include arbitrary local PHP files without authentication, exposing credentials in wp-config.php and potentially achieving remote code execution.

Affected Products

unfoldwp Magazine Elite WordPress theme
All versions from initial release through 1.2.4
WordPress sites running the vulnerable magazine-elite theme

Discovery Timeline

2025-08-28 - CVE-2025-53244 published to NVD
2026-04-23 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-53244

Vulnerability Analysis

The Magazine Elite theme passes attacker-influenced input into a PHP include or require statement without sufficient validation. This pattern matches [CWE-98], in which a filename used in a dynamic include is not properly constrained to a safe directory or whitelist. An unauthenticated attacker can submit crafted parameters through HTTP requests to load arbitrary files from the local filesystem. When an attacker can stage PHP content on the server, for example through media uploads or log poisoning, the inclusion executes that code in the web server context.

Root Cause

The root cause is the absence of input sanitization and path validation around a dynamic file inclusion. The theme accepts user-controlled values and concatenates them into the path argument of an include or require call. There is no allowlist of permitted filenames, no enforcement of a base directory, and no rejection of traversal sequences such as ../. The Patchstack advisory classifies the issue as Local File Inclusion through this dynamic include path.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is Network. An attacker sends an HTTP request to a vulnerable endpoint exposed by the theme and supplies a filename parameter that resolves to a sensitive local file. Targets include wp-config.php, session files, and uploaded media containing PHP payloads. Although the access complexity is elevated because exploitation typically requires server-specific conditions to weaponize, the impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability remains high. See the Patchstack Vulnerability Report for technical references.

// No verified public exploit code is available.
// The vulnerability pattern resembles:
//   include( $_GET['file'] . '.php' );
// where the 'file' parameter is not validated against an allowlist
// or constrained to a fixed base directory.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-53244

Indicators of Compromise

HTTP requests to theme endpoints containing path traversal sequences such as ../, ..%2f, or encoded null bytes
Web server access logs showing requests with parameters referencing wp-config.php, /etc/passwd, or php://filter
Unexpected PHP execution originating from upload directories like wp-content/uploads/
Outbound connections from the web server immediately following requests to magazine-elite theme paths

Detection Strategies

Inspect web access logs for query strings targeting magazine-elite theme files with suspicious file, page, or template parameters
Deploy WordPress-aware web application firewall rules that block LFI patterns and PHP wrapper schemes
Monitor file integrity on wp-config.php and theme directories to detect unauthorized reads or modifications

Monitoring Recommendations

Alert on PHP processes spawning shells, network utilities, or writing to web-accessible directories
Track HTTP 200 responses to URIs containing traversal indicators where 404 responses are expected
Correlate authentication anomalies in WordPress with prior LFI probe traffic from the same source IP

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-53244

Immediate Actions Required

Identify WordPress installations using the magazine-elite theme at version 1.2.4 or earlier
Disable or remove the Magazine Elite theme until a patched release is verified by the vendor
Rotate WordPress salts, database credentials, and any API keys stored in wp-config.php if exploitation is suspected
Review web server and PHP error logs for evidence of inclusion attempts dating back to theme installation

Patch Information

No fixed version is referenced in the available advisory data. The vulnerability is reported as affecting magazine-elite from initial release through version 1.2.4. Monitor the Patchstack Vulnerability Report and the unfoldwp vendor channel for a patched release, and apply it as soon as it becomes available.

Workarounds

Restrict access to vulnerable theme endpoints at the web server or WAF layer using URI and parameter filters
Set the PHP directive open_basedir to confine includes to the WordPress installation directory
Disable PHP execution within wp-content/uploads/ using web server configuration to limit secondary exploitation
Switch to an alternative actively maintained theme until a fixed version of Magazine Elite is released

bash

# Example nginx configuration to block PHP execution in uploads
location ~* /wp-content/uploads/.*\.php$ {
    deny all;
    return 403;
}

# Example php.ini hardening
# open_basedir = /var/www/html:/tmp
# allow_url_include = Off
# allow_url_fopen = Off