CVE-2025-58946
Published: 18 December 2025
Summary
CVE-2025-58946 is a high-severity PHP Remote File Inclusion (CWE-98) vulnerability in Axiomthemes Vocal. 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 27.9th 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
Directly mitigates CVE-2025-58946 by requiring identification, reporting, and correction of the PHP Local File Inclusion flaw in the Vocal WordPress theme.
Prevents exploitation of the improper filename control in PHP include/require by validating user-supplied inputs for malicious paths or filenames.
Enforces restrictions on filename inputs to the Vocal theme's PHP functions, blocking unauthorized local file inclusion attempts via path traversal.
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise TechniquesAI
Why these techniques?
LFI in public-facing WordPress theme enables initial access via T1190 and facilitates collection of local system data (T1005) or credentials in files like wp-config.php (T1552.001).
NVD Description
Improper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement in PHP Program ('PHP Remote File Inclusion') vulnerability in axiomthemes Vocal vocal allows PHP Local File Inclusion.This issue affects Vocal: from n/a through <= 1.12.
Deeper analysisAI
CVE-2025-58946 is an Improper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement in PHP Program vulnerability, classified as PHP Remote File Inclusion, in the axiomthemes Vocal WordPress theme. The flaw enables PHP Local File Inclusion and affects all versions of Vocal from n/a through 1.12. It 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) and is associated with CWE-98.
The vulnerability is exploitable by unauthenticated attackers (PR:N) over the network (AV:N) with high attack complexity (AC:H) and no user interaction (UI:N). Successful exploitation grants high impacts on confidentiality, integrity, and availability (C:H/I:H/A:H), allowing PHP Local File Inclusion as described.
Patchstack provides details on the vulnerability in the WordPress Vocal theme version 1.12 via its advisory at https://patchstack.com/database/Wordpress/Theme/vocal/vulnerability/wordpress-vocal-theme-1-12-local-file-inclusion-vulnerability?_s_id=cve.
Details
- CWE(s)