CVE-2025-49070 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 NasaTheme Elessi product, a PHP-based theme or plugin likely used in content management systems or e-commerce platforms. The vulnerability allows for PHP Local File Inclusion (LFI), which means an attacker can manipulate the filename parameter in an include or require statement to load unintended files from the local server. This can lead to arbitrary code execution, disclosure of sensitive files, or complete compromise of the affected web application. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 7.5, reflecting a high severity due to the potential impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The vector indicates network attack vector (AV:N), high attack complexity (AC:H), requiring low privileges (PR:L), no user interaction (UI:N), unchanged scope (S:U), and high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability (C:H/I:H/A:H). No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches have been linked yet. The vulnerability arises from insufficient validation or sanitization of user-supplied input used in PHP include/require statements, allowing attackers to traverse directories or specify arbitrary local files. This can enable attackers to execute malicious PHP code or read sensitive configuration files, leading to full system compromise or data leakage.

For European organizations, the impact of this vulnerability can be significant, especially for those using the NasaTheme Elessi product in their web infrastructure. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive customer data, intellectual property, or internal configuration files, violating GDPR and other data protection regulations. The ability to execute arbitrary code on web servers can result in defacement, data theft, ransomware deployment, or pivoting to internal networks. This poses a direct threat to business continuity, reputation, and regulatory compliance. Organizations in sectors such as e-commerce, government, healthcare, and finance, which often rely on PHP-based web applications and themes, are particularly at risk. The high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability means that successful exploitation could disrupt services and cause significant financial and operational damage.

To mitigate this vulnerability, European organizations should: 1) Immediately audit their web applications to identify deployments of NasaTheme Elessi and assess exposure. 2) Apply any available patches or updates from the vendor as soon as they are released. 3) Implement strict input validation and sanitization on all parameters used in include or require statements to prevent directory traversal or arbitrary file inclusion. 4) Employ web application firewalls (WAFs) with rules designed to detect and block suspicious include/require parameter manipulations. 5) Restrict PHP file inclusion to a whitelist of allowed files or directories using secure coding practices. 6) Disable allow_url_include and similar PHP settings that enable remote file inclusion if not required. 7) Monitor logs for unusual file access patterns or errors related to include/require statements. 8) Conduct regular security assessments and code reviews focusing on file inclusion mechanisms. These steps go beyond generic advice by focusing on the specific nature of this vulnerability and the product involved.