Cyber Resilience

CVE-2026-27987

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 0.0042 33.1th percentile
Risk Priority 55 floored blend · peak EPSS

Summary

CVE-2026-27987 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 33.1th 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 RA-5 (Vulnerability Monitoring and Scanning) and SI-10 (Information Input Validation).

Deeper analysis

CVE-2026-27987 is an Improper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement in PHP Program vulnerability, classified under CWE-98, that enables PHP Local File Inclusion (LFI) in the ThemeREX The Qlean WordPress theme (the-qlean). The issue affects all versions from an unspecified initial release through 2.12. Published on 2026-03-05, it carries a CVSS v3.1 base score of 8.1 (High).

A remote unauthenticated attacker (AV:N/PR:N) can exploit this vulnerability with high attack complexity (AC:H) and no user interaction required (UI:N), achieving high impacts on confidentiality, integrity, and availability (C:H/I:H/A:H) within unchanged scope (S:U). By manipulating filename controls in PHP include/require statements, the attacker can include and execute arbitrary local files on the server.

The Patchstack advisory at https://patchstack.com/database/Wordpress/Theme/the-qlean/vulnerability/wordpress-the-qlean-theme-2-12-local-file-inclusion-vulnerability?_s_id=cve provides details on this Local File Inclusion vulnerability specific to The Qlean WordPress theme version 2.12, including potential mitigation guidance.

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 ThemeREX The Qlean the-qlean allows PHP Local File Inclusion.This issue affects The Qlean: from n/a through <= 2.12.

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?

This is a local file inclusion vulnerability in a public-facing WordPress theme, allowing unauthenticated remote attackers to exploit the web application directly 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-2 Flaw Remediation good match
prevent

Directly remediates the specific PHP Local File Inclusion flaw in the The Qlean WordPress theme by identifying, reporting, and applying corrections or patches.

SI-10 Information Input Validation good match
prevent

Enforces validation of user-supplied inputs to PHP include/require statements, preventing manipulation that leads to arbitrary local file inclusion.

RA-5 Vulnerability Monitoring and Scanning good match
detect

Conducts vulnerability scanning to identify the CVE-2026-27987 LFI vulnerability in the WordPress theme, enabling timely remediation.

References