CVE-2025-53442
Published: 18 December 2025
Summary
CVE-2025-53442 is a high-severity PHP Remote File Inclusion (CWE-98) vulnerability in Axiomthemes Rentic. Its CVSS base score is 8.1 (High).
Operationally, exploitation aligns with the MITRE ATT&CK technique Exploit Public-Facing Application (T1190); ranked at the 43.8th percentile by exploit likelihood (below the median); 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
Threat & Defense Details
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5)AI
SI-10 requires validation of filenames passed to PHP include/require statements, directly preventing local file inclusion by rejecting malicious paths.
SI-2 mandates timely identification, reporting, and patching of flaws like this LFI vulnerability in the Rentic WordPress theme.
CM-6 enforces secure PHP configuration settings such as open_basedir restrictions or disabling allow_url_include to limit file access paths exploited in this LFI.
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise TechniquesAI
Why these techniques?
LFI vulnerability in public-facing WordPress theme enables exploitation of public-facing application (T1190) and arbitrary local file reads, facilitating file and directory discovery (T1083).
NVD Description
Improper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement in PHP Program ('PHP Remote File Inclusion') vulnerability in axiomthemes Rentic rentic allows PHP Local File Inclusion.This issue affects Rentic: from n/a through <= 1.1.
Deeper analysisAI
CVE-2025-53442 is an Improper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement in PHP Program vulnerability, classified as PHP Remote File Inclusion but enabling PHP Local File Inclusion, affecting the Rentic WordPress theme developed by axiomthemes. The issue impacts all versions of Rentic from n/a through 1.1.
The vulnerability has 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 exploitation over the network by unauthenticated attackers with high attack complexity and no user interaction required. Successful exploits can result in high impacts to confidentiality, integrity, and availability, potentially allowing attackers to read local files or escalate to further compromise.
Patchstack's advisory at https://patchstack.com/database/Wordpress/Theme/rentic/vulnerability/wordpress-rentic-theme-1-1-local-file-inclusion-vulnerability?_s_id=cve documents the Local File Inclusion vulnerability in the Rentic WordPress theme version 1.1.
Details
- CWE(s)