Cyber Posture

CVE-2025-53436

High

Published: 18 December 2025

Published
18 December 2025
Modified
15 April 2026
KEV Added
—
Patch
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CVSS Score 8.1 CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS Score 0.0022 44.7th percentile
Risk Priority 16 60% EPSS · 20% KEV · 20% CVSS

Description

Improper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement in PHP Program ('PHP Remote File Inclusion') vulnerability in BZOTheme Monki monki allows PHP Local File Inclusion.This issue affects Monki: from n/a through <= 2.0.5.

Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5)AI

SI-10 Information Input Validation good match
prevent

Directly mitigates improper filename control in PHP include/require by validating inputs to block malicious local file inclusion paths.

SI-2 Flaw Remediation good match
prevent

Ensures timely patching of the specific flaw in BZOTheme Monki WordPress theme versions through <=2.0.5.

CM-6 Configuration Settings partial match
prevent

Applies restrictive PHP configuration settings such as open_basedir to limit file access scope in LFI exploits.

Security SummaryAI

CVE-2025-53436 is an Improper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement in PHP Program vulnerability, classified as PHP Remote File Inclusion, that allows PHP Local File Inclusion in the BZOTheme Monki WordPress theme. This issue affects Monki versions from n/a through 2.0.5 and is associated with CWE-98. The vulnerability carries a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.1 (AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H), indicating high severity due to its potential network-based exploitation.

An unauthenticated remote attacker can exploit this vulnerability over the network without requiring user interaction, though it demands high attack complexity. Successful exploitation enables the attacker to achieve high impacts on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, typically through local file inclusion to read sensitive files or potentially execute arbitrary code on the server.

The Patchstack advisory at https://patchstack.com/database/Wordpress/Theme/monki/vulnerability/wordpress-monki-theme-2-0-4-local-file-inclusion-vulnerability?_s_id=cve provides details on the local file inclusion vulnerability in the WordPress Monki theme.

Details

CWE(s)
CWE-98

MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise TechniquesAI

T1190 Exploit Public-Facing Application Initial Access
Adversaries may attempt to exploit a weakness in an Internet-facing host or system to initially access a network.
attack.mitre.org →
Why these techniques?

Unauthenticated remote exploitation of a local file inclusion vulnerability in a public-facing WordPress theme directly maps to T1190: Exploit Public-Facing Application.

Confidence: HIGH · MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise v19.0

References