CVE-2025-2505

Critical

Published: 20 March 2025

Published

20 March 2025

Modified

15 April 2026

KEV Added

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Patch

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CVSS Score 9.8 CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

EPSS Score 0.0041 61.2th percentile

Risk Priority 20 60% EPSS · 20% KEV · 20% CVSS

Summary

CVE-2025-2505 is a critical-severity Path Traversal (CWE-22) vulnerability in Wordpress (inferred from references). Its CVSS base score is 9.8 (Critical).

Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploit Public-Facing Application (T1190); ranked in the top 38.8% of CVEs by exploit likelihood; it is not currently listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

The strongest mitigations our analysis identified are NIST 800-53 SI-10 (Information Input Validation) and SI-2 (Flaw Remediation).

Threat & Defense at a Glance

What attackers do: exploitation maps to Exploit Public-Facing Application (T1190). What defenders deploy: see the NIST 800-53 controls recommended below.

Threat & Defense Details

Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5)AI

SI-10 Information Input Validation good match

prevent

Directly addresses the improper handling of the 'lang' parameter by requiring validation of inputs to block path traversal and arbitrary PHP file inclusion.

SI-2 Flaw Remediation good match

prevent

Requires timely application of the available patch (changeset 3258075) to remediate the LFI vulnerability in the Age Gate plugin's Settings.php.

SC-7 Boundary Protection partial match

preventdetect

Boundary protection via web application firewalls can inspect and block malicious 'lang' parameter payloads attempting LFI exploitation over network interfaces.

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?

The CVE describes an unauthenticated remote file inclusion vulnerability in a public-facing WordPress plugin that enables arbitrary PHP code execution over the network, directly mapping to exploitation of public-facing applications for initial access and code execution.

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

NVD Description

The Age Gate plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Local PHP File Inclusion in all versions up to, and including, 3.5.3 via the 'lang' parameter. This makes it possible for unauthenticated attackers to include and execute arbitrary PHP files on…

the server, allowing the execution of code in those files. This can be used to bypass access controls, obtain sensitive data, or achieve code execution in cases where images and other “safe” file types can be uploaded and included.

Deeper analysisAI

CVE-2025-2505, published on 2025-03-20, is a Local PHP File Inclusion (LFI) vulnerability in the Age Gate plugin for WordPress, affecting all versions up to and including 3.5.3. The issue stems from improper handling of the 'lang' parameter, enabling attackers to include and execute arbitrary PHP files on the server. It carries a CVSS v3.1 base score of 9.8 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H) and is classified under CWE-22.

Unauthenticated attackers can exploit this vulnerability over the network with low attack complexity and no user interaction. Exploitation allows inclusion and execution of arbitrary PHP files, which can bypass access controls, disclose sensitive data, or lead to code execution—especially in scenarios where images or other "safe" file types are uploadable and can be included.

Wordfence provides threat intelligence on the vulnerability, including exploitation details. A patch is available via WordPress plugin changeset 3258075, and the vulnerable code is visible in the plugin's Settings.php file at line 27.