CVE-2025-58943: Agricola Path Traversal Vulnerability

CVE-2025-58943 Overview

A Local File Inclusion (LFI) vulnerability has been identified in the Axiomthemes Agricola WordPress theme. This vulnerability stems from improper control of filename parameters in PHP include/require statements, allowing attackers to include arbitrary local files from the server. The flaw affects all versions of the Agricola theme through version 1.1.0.

Critical Impact

Unauthenticated attackers can exploit this LFI vulnerability to read sensitive files from the web server, potentially exposing configuration files, credentials, and other confidential data. This could lead to further compromise of the WordPress installation and underlying server infrastructure.

Affected Products

• Axiomthemes Agricola WordPress Theme versions up to and including 1.1.0

Discovery Timeline

• 2025-12-18 - CVE-2025-58943 published to NVD
• 2026-01-20 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-58943

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is classified as CWE-98 (Improper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement in PHP Program). The Agricola theme fails to properly sanitize user-controlled input before passing it to PHP's include or require functions. This allows an attacker to manipulate the file path parameter to traverse the directory structure and include arbitrary files from the local filesystem.

Local File Inclusion attacks against WordPress themes can be particularly devastating as they may expose the wp-config.php file containing database credentials, authentication keys, and salts. Additionally, attackers may chain this vulnerability with other techniques to achieve remote code execution, such as including log files that contain injected PHP code or leveraging PHP wrappers.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability lies in insufficient input validation within the Agricola theme's file handling mechanisms. When the theme processes requests that include dynamic file paths, it fails to adequately filter or validate the input against directory traversal sequences (such as ../) or absolute paths. This allows attackers to escape the intended directory context and access files elsewhere on the filesystem.

Attack Vector

The attack vector for this vulnerability is network-based, requiring no authentication or user interaction. An attacker can craft malicious HTTP requests targeting vulnerable endpoints in the Agricola theme, manipulating file path parameters to include sensitive local files. The attack can be performed remotely against any WordPress installation running the vulnerable theme version.

Common exploitation techniques include using path traversal sequences to navigate to sensitive files such as /etc/passwd on Linux systems or leveraging PHP wrapper streams like php://filter to read and encode file contents. The vulnerability's network accessibility without authentication requirements makes it particularly attractive to automated scanning tools and opportunistic attackers.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-58943

Indicators of Compromise

• HTTP requests containing path traversal sequences (e.g., ../, ..%2f, ..%5c) targeting the Agricola theme directories
• Requests attempting to access sensitive files such as wp-config.php, /etc/passwd, or system configuration files
• Unusual access patterns to theme-related PHP files with suspicious query parameters
• Web server logs showing attempts to use PHP wrappers like php://filter or php://input

Detection Strategies

• Monitor web application firewall (WAF) logs for path traversal patterns targeting WordPress theme directories
• Implement file integrity monitoring on critical WordPress configuration files
• Deploy intrusion detection rules to identify LFI attack patterns in HTTP traffic
• Review Apache/Nginx access logs for requests containing encoded traversal characters

Monitoring Recommendations

• Enable detailed logging for all requests to the WordPress themes directory
• Configure alerts for any successful file access attempts outside the web root
• Monitor for PHP errors indicating failed file inclusion attempts
• Implement network-level monitoring for outbound connections that may indicate successful data exfiltration

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-58943

Immediate Actions Required

• Update the Axiomthemes Agricola theme to a patched version if available from the vendor
• If no patch is available, consider temporarily disabling or replacing the vulnerable theme
• Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to block path traversal attempts
• Review server access logs for signs of exploitation attempts

Patch Information

Organizations should monitor the Patchstack WordPress Vulnerability Database for patch availability and updated security advisories. Contact Axiomthemes directly for information about security updates for the Agricola theme.

Workarounds

• Implement strict input validation on all file path parameters using allowlists
• Deploy ModSecurity or similar WAF rules to block common LFI attack patterns
• Restrict PHP's open_basedir configuration to limit file access scope
• Consider using a virtual patching solution until an official patch is released

# Apache .htaccess rules to block common LFI attempts
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} (\.\./|\.\.%2f|\.\.%5c) [NC,OR]
RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} (php://|file://|expect://) [NC]
RewriteRule .* - [F,L]