CVE-2025-69081: Hope Charity Theme File Inclusion Flaw

CVE-2025-69081 Overview

CVE-2025-69081 is a PHP Local File Inclusion (LFI) vulnerability affecting the ThemeREX Group Hope (charity-is-hope) WordPress theme. The vulnerability stems from improper control of filename for include/require statements in PHP, classified under CWE-98. This flaw allows attackers to include arbitrary local files on the server, potentially leading to sensitive information disclosure, configuration file exposure, or in some cases, remote code execution when combined with other attack techniques.

Critical Impact

Network-accessible attackers can exploit this Local File Inclusion vulnerability to read sensitive files from the server, potentially exposing configuration data, credentials, or enabling further attacks through log poisoning or session file inclusion.

Affected Products

• ThemeREX Group Hope (charity-is-hope) WordPress Theme versions up to and including 3.0.0
• WordPress installations running the affected Hope theme
• Web servers hosting vulnerable WordPress sites with the Hope theme

Discovery Timeline

• 2026-01-07 - CVE CVE-2025-69081 published to NVD
• 2026-01-08 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-69081

Vulnerability Analysis

This vulnerability is a PHP Local File Inclusion (LFI) issue that occurs when user-controllable input is improperly used in PHP's include(), require(), include_once(), or require_once() functions without adequate sanitization. The ThemeREX Group Hope theme fails to properly validate and sanitize file path parameters before using them in file inclusion operations.

When exploited, attackers can traverse the directory structure and include arbitrary files from the local filesystem. This can lead to exposure of sensitive configuration files such as wp-config.php, which contains database credentials, or system files like /etc/passwd. In more advanced scenarios, attackers may combine LFI with log poisoning or PHP wrapper techniques to achieve remote code execution.

Root Cause

The root cause of CVE-2025-69081 is the improper control of filename parameters passed to PHP include or require statements. The Hope theme does not implement adequate input validation, path canonicalization, or whitelist-based filtering for file inclusion operations. User-supplied input can include directory traversal sequences (e.g., ../) that allow attackers to escape the intended directory and access files elsewhere on the filesystem.

Attack Vector

The vulnerability is exploitable over the network without requiring authentication or user interaction. Attackers can craft malicious HTTP requests containing directory traversal payloads targeting the vulnerable file inclusion functionality. The attack complexity is high due to the specific conditions that may need to be met for successful exploitation, but successful attacks can result in high impact to confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

Typical exploitation involves manipulating URL parameters or POST data to inject path traversal sequences. The attacker's payload bypasses the intended file path restrictions and causes the application to include files outside the expected directory, such as:

• WordPress configuration files containing database credentials
• PHP session files for session hijacking
• Log files for log poisoning attacks
• System files for information gathering

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-69081

Indicators of Compromise

• HTTP requests containing path traversal sequences such as ../ or encoded variants (%2e%2e%2f, ..%2f) targeting theme files
• Unusual access patterns to WordPress theme endpoints with file path parameters
• Web server logs showing attempts to access sensitive files like wp-config.php or /etc/passwd through theme requests
• Error logs indicating failed file inclusion attempts or PHP warnings related to file operations

Detection Strategies

• Deploy Web Application Firewall (WAF) rules to detect and block path traversal patterns in HTTP requests
• Implement file integrity monitoring on WordPress installation directories
• Enable verbose PHP error logging and monitor for include/require-related warnings
• Configure SIEM alerts for suspicious request patterns targeting WordPress theme endpoints

Monitoring Recommendations

• Monitor web server access logs for requests containing traversal sequences targeting the Hope theme
• Track file access events on sensitive configuration files and system files
• Review PHP error logs regularly for file inclusion-related errors
• Implement real-time alerting for exploitation attempts against known vulnerable endpoints

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-69081

Immediate Actions Required

• Update the ThemeREX Group Hope theme to a patched version as soon as one becomes available
• Temporarily disable or replace the Hope theme if no patch is available
• Implement WAF rules to block path traversal attempts at the network perimeter
• Review web server and application logs for signs of prior exploitation attempts

Patch Information

Organizations using the affected ThemeREX Group Hope (charity-is-hope) WordPress theme should monitor the Patchstack WordPress Vulnerability Report for patch availability and update information. Until a patch is released, implement the workarounds listed below to reduce risk.

Workarounds

• Configure web server rules to restrict access to theme files that handle user input
• Implement PHP open_basedir restrictions to limit file access to the WordPress directory
• Use a WAF to filter requests containing path traversal patterns before they reach the application
• Consider temporarily switching to an alternative WordPress theme until a security update is available

# Example Apache configuration to block path traversal attempts
# Add to .htaccess or virtual host configuration
<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
    RewriteEngine On
    RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} (\.\./|\.\.%2f|%2e%2e) [NC,OR]
    RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} (\.\./|\.\.%2f|%2e%2e) [NC]
    RewriteRule .* - [F,L]
</IfModule>