Cyber Resilience

CVE-2026-28117

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 0.0033 24.3th percentile
Risk Priority 55 floored blend · peak EPSS

Summary

CVE-2026-28117 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 24.3th 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 CM-6 (Configuration Settings) and SI-10 (Information Input Validation).

Deeper analysis

CVE-2026-28117 is an Improper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement in PHP Program vulnerability, classified under CWE-98 and described as enabling PHP Local File Inclusion despite the naming as PHP Remote File Inclusion. It affects the smart SEO WordPress theme developed by axiomthemes, impacting all versions from an unspecified initial release through 2.9. The vulnerability was published on 2026-03-05 and 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).

An unauthenticated remote attacker can exploit this vulnerability over the network with high attack complexity and no user interaction. Successful exploitation allows high-impact compromise of confidentiality, integrity, and availability, potentially enabling local file inclusion to read sensitive files or execute arbitrary code if PHP files are included.

Mitigation details are available in the Patchstack advisory at https://patchstack.com/database/Wordpress/Theme/smartSEO/vulnerability/wordpress-smart-seo-theme-2-9-local-file-inclusion-vulnerability?_s_id=cve.

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 axiomthemes smart SEO smartSEO allows PHP Local File Inclusion.This issue affects smart SEO: from n/a through <= 2.9.

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?

This is a remote file inclusion vulnerability in a public-facing WordPress theme, directly enabling exploitation of a public-facing web application (T1190) for file disclosure and potential code execution.

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

CVEs Like This One

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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 addresses the CVE by identifying, reporting, and remediating the specific flaw in the smart SEO WordPress theme's PHP include/require handling.

SI-10 Information Input Validation good match
prevent

Implements input validation mechanisms to sanitize filenames supplied to PHP include/require statements, preventing local file inclusion exploitation.

CM-6 Configuration Settings good match
prevent

Enforces secure PHP configuration settings such as open_basedir and allow_url_include=Off to restrict file inclusion paths and mitigate LFI attempts.

References