CVE-2025-28998 is a high-severity vulnerability classified under CWE-98, which involves improper control of filenames used in include or require statements within PHP applications. Specifically, this vulnerability affects the SERPed.net product by serpednet, versions up to 4.6. The flaw allows an attacker to perform PHP Local File Inclusion (LFI), which can lead to remote code execution or disclosure of sensitive files on the server. The vulnerability arises because the application fails to properly validate or sanitize user-supplied input that determines the filename to be included or required by PHP. This improper validation enables an attacker to manipulate the filename parameter to include arbitrary files from the local filesystem. The CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.1 reflects the high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, with an attack vector of network (AV:N), high attack complexity (AC:H), no privileges required (PR:N), and no user interaction (UI:N). The scope is unchanged (S:U), and the impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability is high (C:H/I:H/A:H). Although no known exploits are currently reported in the wild, the vulnerability's characteristics make it a critical concern for affected systems. The lack of available patches at the time of publication increases the urgency for mitigation. This vulnerability can be exploited remotely without authentication, making it a significant risk for any organization using SERPed.net versions up to 4.6. Attackers could leverage this flaw to execute arbitrary PHP code, access sensitive configuration files, or disrupt service availability, potentially leading to full system compromise.

For European organizations using SERPed.net, this vulnerability poses a substantial risk. SERPed.net is a tool commonly used for SEO and digital marketing management, often integrated into business workflows and containing sensitive client data and credentials. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to internal systems, leakage of confidential business information, and potential disruption of marketing operations. Given the high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, organizations could face data breaches, loss of customer trust, and operational downtime. Furthermore, compromised systems could be used as a pivot point for further attacks within the corporate network, amplifying the damage. The vulnerability's remote exploitability without authentication increases the attack surface, especially for organizations exposing SERPed.net instances to the internet. Compliance with European data protection regulations such as GDPR could be jeopardized if personal or sensitive data is exposed, leading to legal and financial consequences.

Immediate mitigation steps include restricting access to the SERPed.net application to trusted internal networks or VPNs to reduce exposure. Implement web application firewalls (WAFs) with rules designed to detect and block attempts to exploit file inclusion vulnerabilities, such as suspicious URL parameters or payloads containing directory traversal sequences. Conduct thorough input validation and sanitization on all user-supplied parameters related to file inclusion, ensuring only allowed filenames or whitelisted paths are accepted. Until an official patch is released, consider disabling or restricting the functionality that performs dynamic file inclusion if feasible. Regularly monitor application logs for unusual access patterns or errors indicative of attempted exploitation. Organizations should also prepare incident response plans specific to web application compromises and ensure backups are up-to-date and securely stored. Finally, maintain communication with the vendor for timely updates and patches, and plan for prompt application of any released fixes.