CVE-2025-22656
Summary
Improper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement in PHP Program (‘PHP Remote File Inclusion’) vulnerability in Oscar Alvarez Cookie Monster allows PHP Local File Inclusion. This issue affects Cookie Monster: from n/a through 1.2.2.
Severity
- Base Score: 8.1
- Exploitability Score: 0.0
- Impact Score: 0.0
- Exploitable: 0
Details
CVE-2025-22656 describes a Local File Inclusion (LFI) vulnerability within the Cookie Monster plugin (versions up to 1.2.2) for PHP. The vulnerability stems from the improper handling of filenames used in include/require statements. An attacker can exploit this flaw to include arbitrary files from the local server, potentially leading to information disclosure, code execution, or other malicious activities. The ‘Improper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement in PHP Program’ means the application doesn’t properly sanitize or validate user-supplied input used to construct file paths within include/require statements. This allows attackers to manipulate these paths to point to unintended files.
Remediation
The primary remediation strategy is to upgrade the Cookie Monster plugin to a version beyond 1.2.2, as any later versions should include a fix for this vulnerability. If upgrading isn’t immediately possible, consider the following mitigations:
Input Validation and Sanitization: Implement strict input validation and sanitization on any user-supplied input that is used to construct file paths within the plugin. Specifically, escape or remove any characters that could be used to traverse directories (e.g., “../”, “..", “%2E%2E/”). Use a whitelist of allowed characters and file extensions to further restrict the possible values.
Path Normalization: Normalize file paths to remove any redundant or potentially malicious components. This can be achieved using functions that resolve symbolic links and simplify paths (e.g.,
realpath()in PHP).Principle of Least Privilege: Ensure that the PHP process running the Cookie Monster plugin operates with the minimum necessary privileges. This limits the potential impact if an attacker gains unauthorized access through the LFI vulnerability.
Web Application Firewall (WAF): Deploy a web application firewall (WAF) with rules to detect and block LFI attacks. The WAF can analyze incoming requests for malicious patterns and block them before they reach the application.
Code Review: Conduct a thorough code review of the Cookie Monster plugin to identify any other potential vulnerabilities related to file handling or input validation.
Assigner
- Name: Patchstack
- Email: [email protected]
Date
- Published Date: 2025-02-18 19:54:28
- Updated Date: 2025-02-18 19:54:28