Cyber Resilience

CVE-2026-22437

High

Published: 05 March 2026

Published
05 March 2026
Modified
22 April 2026
KEV Added
—
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 0.0050 39.1th percentile
Risk Priority 55 floored blend · peak EPSS

Summary

CVE-2026-22437 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 39.1th 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-2026-22437 is an Improper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement in PHP Program, classified as a PHP Remote File Inclusion vulnerability, present in the AncoraThemes Playa WordPress theme. Specifically, it enables PHP Local File Inclusion and affects all versions of Playa from n/a through 1.3.9.

The vulnerability can be exploited by unauthenticated attackers over the network, though it requires high attack complexity, with no user interaction needed. Successful exploitation grants high impacts across confidentiality, integrity, and availability, as reflected in its CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.1 (AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H), potentially allowing attackers to include and execute arbitrary local files.

The Patchstack advisory at https://patchstack.com/database/Wordpress/Theme/playa/vulnerability/wordpress-playa-theme-1-3-9-local-file-inclusion-vulnerability?_s_id=cve documents this Local File Inclusion issue in the Playa theme version 1.3.9 and provides related vulnerability details.

OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)

A05:2025 Injection

EU & UK References

Vulnerability details

Improper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement in PHP Program ('PHP Remote File Inclusion') vulnerability in AncoraThemes Playa playa allows PHP Local File Inclusion.This issue affects Playa: from n/a through <= 1.3.9.

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?

CVE-2026-22437 is a Local File Inclusion (LFI) vulnerability in a public-facing WordPress theme, directly enabling exploitation of public-facing applications via improper filename control in PHP include/require statements.

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

CVEs Like This One

CVE-2025-58923Shared CWE-98
CVE-2025-69057Shared CWE-98
CVE-2024-54263Shared CWE-98
CVE-2026-28035Shared CWE-98
CVE-2026-28024Shared CWE-98
CVE-2025-67525Shared CWE-98
CVE-2025-22707Shared CWE-98
CVE-2025-69375Shared CWE-98
CVE-2026-22443Shared CWE-98
CVE-2025-53198Shared CWE-98

Affected Assets

Mitigating Controls

Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI

SI-10 Information Input Validation good match
prevent

Directly mitigates the improper filename control in PHP include/require by enforcing input validation at application boundaries to block malicious local file paths.

SI-2 Flaw Remediation good match
prevent

Requires timely remediation of the specific flaw in the Playa WordPress theme through patching or removal to eliminate the LFI vulnerability.

CM-6 Configuration Settings partial match
prevent

Enforces secure PHP configuration settings such as open_basedir restrictions to limit file access even if flawed include statements are present.

References