CVE-2025-67982: Urna WordPress Theme LFI Vulnerability

CVE-2025-67982 Overview

CVE-2025-67982 is a Local File Inclusion (LFI) vulnerability affecting the Urna WordPress theme developed by thembay. This vulnerability stems from improper control of filename for include/require statements in PHP, allowing attackers to include arbitrary local files on the server. Through successful exploitation, an attacker could read sensitive configuration files, access source code, or potentially achieve remote code execution when combined with other techniques.

Critical Impact
Unauthenticated attackers could exploit this vulnerability to read sensitive files from the server, potentially exposing database credentials, API keys, and other confidential information that could lead to complete site compromise.

Affected Products

Urna WordPress Theme version 2.5.12 and earlier
WordPress installations running vulnerable Urna theme versions
Any web application utilizing the affected Urna theme components

Discovery Timeline

2026-02-20 - CVE-2025-67982 published to NVD
2026-02-24 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-67982

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability falls under CWE-98: Improper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement in PHP Program. The Urna WordPress theme fails to properly sanitize user-supplied input before passing it to PHP's include or require functions. This lack of input validation enables attackers to manipulate file paths and include arbitrary local files from the web server's filesystem.

The vulnerability is exploitable over the network without requiring authentication or user interaction, though the attack complexity is considered high. Successful exploitation can result in complete compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected system. Attackers can leverage this flaw to read sensitive files such as wp-config.php, which contains database credentials, or traverse directories to access other critical system files.

Root Cause

The root cause of this vulnerability is insufficient input validation and sanitization in the Urna theme's PHP code. When the application processes user-controlled input to determine which file to include, it fails to properly restrict the input to expected values or sanitize path traversal sequences. This allows malicious actors to inject directory traversal characters (such as ../) or other path manipulation techniques to access files outside the intended directory scope.

Attack Vector

The attack vector for CVE-2025-67982 is network-based, meaning exploitation can occur remotely without physical access to the target system. An attacker would craft malicious HTTP requests containing path traversal sequences or specially crafted filenames targeting vulnerable theme endpoints. By manipulating parameters that are subsequently used in PHP include or require statements, the attacker can force the server to process arbitrary local files.

Common exploitation techniques include using ../ sequences to traverse directories and access files like /etc/passwd, wp-config.php, or log files. When combined with techniques such as log poisoning or PHP filter chains, this vulnerability could potentially escalate to remote code execution.

For technical details on the vulnerability mechanism, refer to the Patchstack WordPress Vulnerability Report.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-67982

Indicators of Compromise

Unusual HTTP requests containing path traversal sequences (../, ..%2f, %2e%2e/) targeting Urna theme endpoints
Web server logs showing attempts to access sensitive files like wp-config.php, /etc/passwd, or application configuration files
Requests with PHP wrapper protocols such as php://filter, php://input, or file:// in URL parameters
Unexpected file access patterns in WordPress theme directories

Detection Strategies

Implement Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block path traversal patterns in HTTP requests
Configure intrusion detection systems (IDS) to alert on LFI attack signatures targeting WordPress installations
Enable detailed PHP error logging to capture failed include/require attempts that may indicate exploitation attempts
Deploy file integrity monitoring on critical WordPress configuration files

Monitoring Recommendations

Monitor web server access logs for requests containing encoded path traversal sequences or suspicious file extensions
Set up alerts for abnormal access patterns to WordPress theme files, particularly in the Urna theme directory
Track and investigate any requests attempting to access files outside the web root directory
Implement behavioral analysis to detect reconnaissance activities preceding LFI exploitation attempts

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-67982

Immediate Actions Required

Update the Urna WordPress theme to a patched version as soon as one becomes available from thembay
Implement WAF rules to block path traversal attacks targeting WordPress theme endpoints
Review and restrict file permissions on sensitive WordPress files, particularly wp-config.php
Consider temporarily deactivating the Urna theme and switching to a known-secure alternative until a patch is released

Patch Information

As of the last NVD update on 2026-02-24, organizations should monitor the Patchstack WordPress Vulnerability Report for official patch information from thembay. Ensure you are running a version of the Urna theme newer than 2.5.12 once a security update is released.

Workarounds

Deploy a Web Application Firewall with rules configured to detect and block LFI attack patterns
Implement server-level restrictions using open_basedir PHP directive to limit file access scope
Use allowlist-based input validation for any user-controlled parameters that influence file inclusion
Configure ModSecurity or similar security modules with OWASP Core Rule Set to provide additional protection

bash

# PHP configuration hardening example
# Add to php.ini or .htaccess to restrict file access
php_value open_basedir /var/www/html:/tmp
php_flag allow_url_include off
php_flag allow_url_fopen off