CVE-2025-69105: Modernee Path Traversal Vulnerability

CVE-2025-69105 Overview

CVE-2025-69105 is an unauthenticated Local File Inclusion (LFI) vulnerability affecting the Modernee WordPress theme in versions 1.6.0 and earlier. The flaw is classified under [CWE-98], improper control of filename for include/require statements in PHP. Remote attackers can request inclusion of arbitrary local files without authentication, leading to disclosure of sensitive server-side content and potential code execution paths when attacker-controllable files are reachable. The vulnerability is exploitable over the network without user interaction.

Critical Impact
Unauthenticated attackers can read arbitrary local files and potentially trigger code execution by including attacker-influenced files on WordPress sites running Modernee theme <= 1.6.0.

Affected Products

WordPress Modernee theme versions <= 1.6.0
WordPress installations using the Modernee theme as active or installed
Sites where the vulnerable theme files are reachable via PHP include paths

Discovery Timeline

2026-06-17 - CVE-2025-69105 published to NVD
2026-06-17 - Last updated in NVD database

Technical Details for CVE-2025-69105

Vulnerability Analysis

The Modernee theme contains a PHP file inclusion sink that accepts user-controlled input and passes it to an include or require statement without sufficient validation or path sanitization. Because authentication is not required, any anonymous network client can issue the crafted request. The result is that the PHP runtime loads and executes the contents of a file identified by the attacker, drawn from the local filesystem.

Local File Inclusion vulnerabilities of this class typically permit reading configuration files such as wp-config.php, log files, and other sensitive content readable by the PHP process. When combined with secondary primitives such as log poisoning, session file control, or file upload features, LFI can escalate to remote code execution. The high attack complexity reflects conditions an attacker must satisfy to reliably reach exploitable paths, but successful exploitation impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected site.

Root Cause

The root cause is improper neutralization of input used in a PHP include path, mapped to [CWE-98]. The theme constructs include paths from request parameters without enforcing an allowlist of permitted templates or stripping directory traversal sequences such as ../.

Attack Vector

The attack vector is network-based. An attacker issues an HTTP request to a vulnerable Modernee theme endpoint with a parameter value pointing at a local file path. The PHP interpreter resolves and includes the file, returning its contents or executing embedded PHP. No credentials and no user interaction are required.

Technical details are documented in the Patchstack Vulnerability Report.

Detection Methods for CVE-2025-69105

Indicators of Compromise

HTTP requests to Modernee theme PHP files containing path traversal sequences such as ../, ..%2f, or encoded null bytes
Access log entries showing query parameters referencing sensitive files like wp-config.php, /etc/passwd, or PHP session files
Unexpected outbound activity or new administrative users following anomalous theme requests
Web server logs showing inclusion of files outside the theme directory under wp-content/themes/modernee/

Detection Strategies

Inspect web access logs for requests targeting the Modernee theme with file path parameters
Deploy WAF rules that block directory traversal patterns and PHP wrapper schemes such as php://filter and php://input
Monitor PHP error logs for inclusion warnings referencing unexpected file paths
Hunt for sequential requests that combine LFI probing with file upload or log poisoning attempts

Monitoring Recommendations

Alert on any HTTP parameter values containing ../, URL-encoded traversal, or absolute paths to system files
Track integrity of wp-config.php and theme files using file integrity monitoring
Correlate inclusion attempts with subsequent administrative actions in WordPress audit logs
Review CDN and reverse proxy logs for requests bypassing edge filtering to the origin

How to Mitigate CVE-2025-69105

Immediate Actions Required

Identify all WordPress sites running the Modernee theme and confirm the installed version
Disable or remove the Modernee theme on any site running version 1.6.0 or earlier until a patched release is applied
Rotate WordPress secret keys, database credentials, and administrative passwords if exploitation is suspected
Apply WAF virtual patching to block LFI patterns targeting theme endpoints

Patch Information

Review the Patchstack Vulnerability Report for fix availability. Upgrade to a Modernee theme release later than 1.6.0 when published by the theme vendor. Until a fixed version is available, removal of the theme is the most reliable remediation.

Workarounds

Switch to an alternative WordPress theme until a fixed Modernee release is published
Restrict access to theme PHP files through web server rules where direct invocation is not required
Configure open_basedir in PHP to limit file inclusion to the WordPress installation directory
Disable PHP stream wrappers such as allow_url_include and restrict allow_url_fopen in php.ini

bash

# Example php.ini hardening to reduce LFI impact
allow_url_include = Off
allow_url_fopen = Off
open_basedir = "/var/www/html:/tmp"
disable_functions = "system,exec,shell_exec,passthru,proc_open,popen"