CVE-2026-22443
Published: 05 March 2026
Summary
CVE-2026-22443 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-2026-22443 is an Improper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement in PHP Program vulnerability, described as PHP Remote File Inclusion that enables PHP Local File Inclusion (CWE-98), affecting the ThemeREX Alliance WordPress theme. This issue impacts versions from n/a through 3.1.1, as published on 2026-03-05.
The vulnerability 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), meaning it is exploitable remotely by unauthenticated attackers with no user interaction required, though it demands high attack complexity. Successful exploitation grants high-impact access to confidentiality, integrity, and availability, potentially allowing attackers to include and execute local files on the server.
Patchstack's advisory documents the local file inclusion vulnerability specifically in the WordPress Alliance theme version 3.1.1.
OWASP Top 10 for Web (2025)
EU & UK References
- 🇪🇺 ENISA EUVD: EUVD-2026-9569
Vulnerability details
Improper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement in PHP Program ('PHP Remote File Inclusion') vulnerability in ThemeREX Alliance alliance allows PHP Local File Inclusion.This issue affects Alliance: from n/a through <= 3.1.1.
- CWE(s)
Related Threats
MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise TechniquesAI
Why these techniques?
The vulnerability is an unauthenticated remote Local File Inclusion (LFI) in a public-facing WordPress theme, directly enabling exploitation of a public-facing application.
CVEs Like This One
Affected Assets
Mitigating Controls
Mitigating Controls (NIST 800-53 r5) AI
SI-2 directly mitigates CVE-2026-22443 by requiring timely identification, reporting, and patching of the specific flaw in the ThemeREX Alliance WordPress theme versions through 3.1.1.
SI-10 prevents exploitation of the PHP Local File Inclusion vulnerability by enforcing validation of untrusted inputs used in include/require statements to block malicious filenames or paths.
CM-6 partially mitigates the vulnerability by establishing and enforcing secure PHP configuration settings, such as disabling remote file inclusion and restricting file access paths with open_basedir.