Cyber Resilience

CVE-2025-53576

High

Published: 28 August 2025

Published
28 August 2025
Modified
23 April 2026
KEV Added
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Patch
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CVSS Score v3.1 8.1 CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS Score 0.0016 36.4th percentile
Risk Priority 16 60% EPSS · 20% KEV · 20% CVSS

Summary

CVE-2025-53576 is a high-severity PHP Remote File Inclusion (CWE-98) vulnerability. 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 36.4th 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).

Deeper analysis

CVE-2025-53576 is an Improper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement in PHP Program vulnerability, known as PHP Remote File Inclusion, which enables PHP Local File Inclusion in the Ovatheme Events (ova-events) WordPress plugin. This issue affects all versions of the plugin from an unspecified initial release through 1.2.8 and is associated with CWE-98. The vulnerability was published on 2025-08-28 with 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).

Unauthenticated remote attackers can exploit this vulnerability over the network without requiring user interaction, though exploitation demands high attack complexity. Successful attacks can result in high impacts to confidentiality, integrity, and availability, potentially allowing attackers to include and execute local files on the server.

Mitigation details are available in the Patchstack advisory at https://patchstack.com/database/Wordpress/Plugin/ova-events/vulnerability/wordpress-ovatheme-events-plugin-1-2-8-local-file-inclusion-vulnerability?_s_id=cve.

EU & UK References

Vulnerability details

Improper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement in PHP Program ('PHP Remote File Inclusion') vulnerability in ovatheme Ovatheme Events ova-events allows PHP Local File Inclusion.This issue affects Ovatheme Events: from n/a through <= 1.2.8.

CWE(s)
CWE-98

Related Threats

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?

Direct remote exploitation of public-facing PHP/WordPress application via file inclusion leading to arbitrary code execution on the server.

Confidence: HIGH · MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise v18.1

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2026-28087Shared CWE-98
CVE-2025-23952Shared CWE-98
CVE-2026-32505Shared CWE-98
CVE-2025-48149Shared CWE-98
CVE-2025-60058Shared CWE-98
CVE-2025-49994Shared CWE-98
CVE-2026-24531Shared CWE-98
CVE-2025-67527Shared CWE-98
CVE-2025-69396Shared CWE-98
CVE-2025-62067Shared CWE-98

Affected Assets

Mitigating Controls

Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI

SI-2 Flaw Remediation good match
prevent

Directly mitigates the CVE by requiring identification, reporting, and timely patching of the flawed PHP include/require statement in the Ovatheme Events plugin.

SI-10 Information Input Validation good match
prevent

Prevents exploitation of the PHP Local File Inclusion vulnerability by validating filename inputs to the include/require statements against allowed values.

SC-7 Boundary Protection partial match
preventdetect

Boundary protection mechanisms like web application firewalls can block network requests containing malicious filenames targeting the file inclusion vulnerability.

References