CVE-2025-26985

Remediation/Mitigation Strategy for CVE-2025-26985: PHP Local File Inclusion in Majestic Support Plugin

This document outlines the vulnerability, its severity, known exploit, and a remediation/mitigation strategy for CVE-2025-26985, a PHP Local File Inclusion (LFI) vulnerability in the Majestic Support plugin, version 1.0.6 and earlier.

1. Vulnerability Description:

  • Vulnerability: PHP Local File Inclusion (LFI)
  • CVE: CVE-2025-26985
  • Affected Software: Majestic Support plugin, versions up to and including 1.0.6.
  • Description: The Majestic Support plugin contains a vulnerability that allows an attacker to include arbitrary files from the server file system within the plugin’s execution context. This is due to insufficient sanitization of user-supplied input used in include/require statements. An attacker can manipulate this input to specify a file path that exists on the server, potentially leading to information disclosure or, in more severe cases, remote code execution if a local file containing PHP code is included.
  • Patchstack ID: 202500026985

2. Severity Assessment:

  • CVSS v3.1 Score: 8.1 (High)
    • CVSS Vector: AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
    • Explanation:
      • Attack Vector (AV): Network (N) - Vulnerability is exploitable over a network.
      • Attack Complexity (AC): Low (L) - Little or no specialized access conditions or circumstances are required.
      • Privileges Required (PR): Low (L) - Attacker requires only low-level privileges (e.g., a registered user).
      • User Interaction (UI): None (N) - No user interaction is required for exploitation.
      • Scope (S): Unchanged (U) - Vulnerability exploitation only affects the affected component.
      • Confidentiality Impact (C): High (H) - There is a total loss of confidentiality, resulting in all resources within the scope of the impacted component being divulged to the attacker.
      • Integrity Impact (I): High (H) - There is a total loss of integrity, resulting in a complete and irreversible alteration of resources within the scope of the impacted component.
      • Availability Impact (A): High (H) - There is a total loss of availability, resulting in the attacker can disrupt/stop affected services.
  • Severity: High

3. Known Exploits:

  • Likely Exploit: By manipulating parameters used in include/require statements within the Majestic Support plugin, an attacker can include local files, bypassing intended access controls.
  • Example Exploit Scenario: An attacker could potentially include sensitive files like /etc/passwd to gain unauthorized access to system user accounts. Alternatively, an attacker could include log files or other application configuration files, exposing sensitive data. If an attacker can upload malicious PHP code to the server (through another vulnerability or misconfiguration), they can then include this file using the LFI vulnerability, resulting in remote code execution.

4. Remediation/Mitigation Strategy:

The following steps are recommended to remediate or mitigate the LFI vulnerability:

  • A. Immediate Action: Update the Plugin (Preferred)

    • Action: Upgrade the Majestic Support plugin to the latest version if a patched version is available that addresses this vulnerability. Check the plugin developer’s website or the official plugin repository (e.g., WordPress Plugin Directory) for updates.
    • Rationale: Applying the patch is the most effective solution, as it directly addresses the vulnerability in the code.
    • Verification: After the update, thoroughly test the plugin functionality to ensure the patch hasn’t introduced any regressions.

  • B. Temporary Mitigation (If an update is not immediately available):

    • Action 1: Disable the Majestic Support Plugin.

      • Rationale: Disabling the plugin immediately removes the vulnerable code from execution. This is a quick and effective way to prevent exploitation while a permanent solution is found.
      • Impact: Disabling the plugin will remove its functionality from the website. Evaluate the impact on website features before disabling.

    • Action 2: Web Application Firewall (WAF) Rules (Advanced):

      • Rationale: A WAF can be configured to detect and block malicious requests that attempt to exploit the LFI vulnerability. This is a more complex mitigation but can provide a layer of defense while waiting for a patch.
      • Implementation:
        • Configure the WAF to inspect incoming requests for patterns indicative of LFI attacks. Specifically, look for attempts to manipulate file paths in parameters used by the Majestic Support plugin.
        • Create rules that block requests containing directory traversal sequences (e.g., ../, ..%2f) in relevant parameters.
        • Carefully test the WAF rules to avoid false positives, which could block legitimate traffic.
      • Limitations: WAF rules may not be able to fully protect against all possible exploitation techniques. This should be viewed as a temporary measure.

  • C. Long-Term Security Best Practices:

    • 1. Input Validation: Implement robust input validation and sanitization for all user-supplied data used within the plugin. This should include:

      • Whitelisting: Define a strict whitelist of allowed values for file paths. Reject any input that doesn’t match the whitelist.
      • Path Sanitization: Remove directory traversal sequences (e.g., ../) and ensure that the file path resolves to an expected location within the application’s directory.
      • Data Type Validation: Ensure that the input data type is correct (e.g., an integer for an ID, a string for a name).

    • 2. Least Privilege Principle: Ensure the web server and the PHP process run with the minimum necessary privileges. This limits the potential impact of a successful attack.

    • 3. Regular Security Audits: Conduct regular security audits of the plugin code to identify and address potential vulnerabilities.

    • 4. Keep Software Up-to-Date: Regularly update the WordPress core, plugins, and themes to the latest versions to patch known vulnerabilities.

5. Communication and Coordination:

  • Inform Users: Communicate the vulnerability and remediation steps to users of the Majestic Support plugin.
  • Contact the Plugin Developer: Notify the Majestic Support plugin developer about the vulnerability and share details about the potential exploit. Encourage them to release a patched version of the plugin.

6. Post-Incident Activities:

  • Review Logs: Examine web server and application logs for any signs of attempted exploitation.
  • Monitor for Suspicious Activity: Monitor the affected systems for any unusual behavior that may indicate successful exploitation.
  • Incident Response Plan: Ensure a clear incident response plan is in place in case of successful exploitation.

Assigner

Date

  • Published Date: 2025-02-25 14:16:34
  • Updated Date: 2025-02-25 15:15:31

More Details

CVE-2025-26985