CVE-2025-27362 is a high-severity vulnerability classified under CWE-98, which pertains to improper control of filenames used in include or require statements within PHP programs. Specifically, this vulnerability affects the BZOTheme Petito product, versions up to and including 1.6.2. The flaw allows for PHP Local File Inclusion (LFI), which means an attacker can manipulate the filename parameter in the include or require statement to include unintended files from the local filesystem. Although the description mentions 'PHP Remote File Inclusion,' the actual impact is local file inclusion, which can still lead to severe consequences such as arbitrary code execution, information disclosure, and full system compromise if exploited successfully. The vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.1, indicating a high level of severity. The vector string (AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H) shows that the attack can be performed remotely over the network without any privileges or user interaction, but requires high attack complexity. Successful exploitation compromises confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the affected system. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches or fixes have been linked yet. The vulnerability arises due to insufficient validation or sanitization of user-supplied input used in file inclusion functions, which is a common and critical security issue in PHP applications. Attackers exploiting this vulnerability can include arbitrary files from the server, potentially leading to disclosure of sensitive information, execution of malicious code, or denial of service conditions.

For European organizations using the BZOTheme Petito product, this vulnerability poses a significant risk. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data, including customer information, internal documents, or configuration files. The ability to execute arbitrary code could allow attackers to establish persistent backdoors, pivot within networks, or disrupt services, impacting business continuity and reputation. Given the high severity and remote exploitation capability without authentication, attackers can target vulnerable web servers directly from the internet. This is particularly concerning for organizations in sectors with strict data protection regulations such as GDPR, as breaches could result in heavy fines and legal consequences. Additionally, the disruption of availability could affect e-commerce platforms, customer portals, or other critical web-facing services relying on this theme. The lack of patches increases the urgency for organizations to implement mitigations to prevent exploitation. Overall, the vulnerability could lead to significant operational, financial, and reputational damage for affected European entities.

1. Immediate mitigation should include disabling or restricting the use of the vulnerable include/require functionality within the Petito theme if possible, or removing the theme from production environments until a patch is available. 2. Employ web application firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block suspicious requests attempting to exploit file inclusion, such as those containing directory traversal sequences or unexpected parameters. 3. Conduct thorough input validation and sanitization on all user-supplied data, especially parameters used in file inclusion functions, to ensure only allowed filenames or paths are processed. 4. Implement strict file system permissions to limit the web server's access to sensitive files and directories, minimizing the impact of any successful inclusion. 5. Monitor web server logs for unusual access patterns or errors indicative of attempted exploitation. 6. Engage with the vendor or theme maintainers to obtain patches or updates as soon as they become available and apply them promptly. 7. Consider isolating or sandboxing the affected web applications to reduce potential lateral movement in case of compromise. 8. Educate development and security teams about secure coding practices related to file inclusion to prevent similar vulnerabilities in custom code.