CVE-2025-32142

Remediation/Mitigation Strategy for CVE-2025-32142: PHP Local File Inclusion in Stylemix Motors

This document outlines a strategy to remediate and mitigate the PHP Local File Inclusion (LFI) vulnerability identified as CVE-2025-32142 in the Stylemix Motors theme/plugin (versions up to 1.4.65).

1. Vulnerability Description

  • Vulnerability: Improper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement in PHP Program (‘PHP Remote File Inclusion’ - however, in this specific case, it’s an LFI as the vulnerability allows inclusion of local files only).
  • Affected Software: Stylemix Motors theme/plugin, versions up to 1.4.65.
  • Description: The application fails to properly sanitize or validate user-supplied input used in PHP’s include or require statements. This allows an attacker to potentially include arbitrary files from the server’s filesystem, leading to information disclosure, code execution, or denial-of-service.

2. Severity

  • CVSS Score: 8.8 (High)
  • CVSS Vector: AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
  • Explanation:
    • AV:N (Network): The vulnerability is exploitable over the network.
    • AC:L (Low): The attack requires minimal effort to exploit.
    • PR:L (Low): The attacker requires low privileges (e.g., a valid user account) to exploit the vulnerability.
    • UI:N (None): No user interaction is required.
    • S:U (Unchanged): The vulnerability affects only the vulnerable component.
    • C:H (High): There is a high impact on confidentiality; an attacker can read sensitive data.
    • I:H (High): There is a high impact on integrity; an attacker can modify critical data.
    • A:H (High): There is a high impact on availability; an attacker can cause a denial of service.

3. Known Exploit

While specific exploit details might not be publicly available at the time of this document, the general nature of LFI vulnerabilities means that exploits typically involve manipulating URL parameters or other input fields to inject paths to sensitive files.

Example Exploit Scenario (Illustrative):

Assume the vulnerable code looks something like this: php

An attacker could then craft a URL like this:

http://example.com/index.php?page=../../../../etc/passwd

This would attempt to include the /etc/passwd file, potentially revealing user account information. Other files to target include configuration files, database connection strings, and PHP source code.

4. Remediation Strategy

The primary goal is to prevent the inclusion of arbitrary files through user-controlled input.

  • Immediate Action: Update to the Latest Version: The most effective remediation is to immediately update Stylemix Motors to a version greater than 1.4.65, as the vulnerability has been patched in a later release. Check the Stylemix official website or the relevant plugin/theme repository for the latest version.
  • Code Review (If No Update Available): If an immediate update is not possible, conduct a thorough code review of the Stylemix Motors code, focusing on any include, require, include_once, or require_once statements. Identify any instances where user-supplied input directly controls the filename argument.

5. Mitigation Strategy (In Addition to Remediation)

These mitigation steps should be implemented in conjunction with the remediation strategy, particularly if a patch is not immediately available. These are defense-in-depth measures:

  • Input Validation and Sanitization:
    • Whitelist Approach: The best approach is to whitelist acceptable filenames. Instead of directly using user input, create a predefined list of allowed files. Use a lookup table or array to map user requests to the correct file.
    • Path Normalization: Use realpath() or similar functions to normalize paths, removing any .. (parent directory) components. This helps prevent directory traversal.
    • Character Filtering: Sanitize user input by removing or escaping potentially harmful characters, such as /, \, .., and null bytes (%00).
  • Access Controls:
    • Limit File Access: Configure file system permissions to restrict the web server user’s access to only the necessary files and directories.
    • Disable allow_url_include (Important): In your php.ini configuration file, ensure that allow_url_include is set to Off. This prevents the inclusion of remote files, even if an attacker manages to manipulate the filename.
  • Web Application Firewall (WAF):
    • Implement a WAF with rulesets designed to detect and block LFI attempts. The WAF can analyze HTTP requests and identify malicious patterns.
  • Logging and Monitoring:
    • Enable detailed logging of all file access attempts.
    • Monitor logs for suspicious activity, such as requests for unusual or sensitive files. Alert on patterns indicating potential exploitation attempts.
  • Principle of Least Privilege: Ensure that the web server user has only the minimum necessary privileges to operate. Avoid running the web server as the root user.
  • Regular Security Audits: Conduct periodic security audits and penetration tests to identify and address any potential vulnerabilities.

6. Testing

After applying the remediation and mitigation steps, thoroughly test the application to ensure that the vulnerability has been successfully addressed and that no new issues have been introduced. This includes:

  • Vulnerability Scanning: Use automated vulnerability scanners to scan the application for LFI vulnerabilities.
  • Manual Testing: Perform manual testing to verify that directory traversal and other LFI attack techniques are no longer possible.
  • Regression Testing: Run regression tests to ensure that existing functionality has not been negatively impacted.

7. Reporting

Document all remediation and mitigation steps taken. Report the findings to the appropriate stakeholders.

Assigner

Date

  • Published Date: 2025-04-04 15:58:34
  • Updated Date: 2025-04-04 16:15:22

More Details

CVE-2025-32142