CVE-2025-49371 is a Remote File Inclusion (RFI) vulnerability found in AncoraThemes Strux, a PHP-based theme product, affecting versions up to 1.9. The root cause is improper validation and control over the filename parameter used in PHP's include or require statements, which allows attackers to specify arbitrary remote files to be included and executed by the web server. This vulnerability does not require authentication or user interaction, making it remotely exploitable over the network. The attacker can supply a crafted URL or parameter to the vulnerable PHP script, causing the server to fetch and execute malicious PHP code hosted remotely. The impact includes full compromise of the web server, data leakage, defacement, or pivoting into internal networks. The CVSS v3.1 score of 8.1 indicates high severity, with network attack vector, high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability, and high attack complexity. Although no known exploits are reported in the wild yet, the vulnerability is critical due to the widespread use of PHP and AncoraThemes products in web hosting environments. The lack of patches at the time of disclosure necessitates immediate mitigation efforts. This vulnerability is a classic example of insecure dynamic file inclusion, a common PHP security flaw that can be mitigated by strict input validation and disabling remote file inclusion in PHP configurations.

For European organizations, exploitation of CVE-2025-49371 could lead to severe consequences including unauthorized access to sensitive data, complete takeover of web servers, disruption of online services, and potential lateral movement within corporate networks. Many European businesses rely on PHP-based CMS platforms and themes like AncoraThemes Strux for their web presence, making them susceptible to this vulnerability. The compromise could result in data breaches affecting customer privacy, regulatory non-compliance (e.g., GDPR violations), reputational damage, and financial losses. Critical infrastructure sectors and e-commerce platforms are particularly at risk due to their reliance on web applications. The high attack impact combined with no required privileges or user interaction increases the urgency for European entities to address this flaw promptly. Additionally, the vulnerability could be leveraged by threat actors for deploying ransomware or conducting espionage, especially in geopolitically sensitive regions within Europe.

1. Apply official patches from AncoraThemes immediately once they become available to fix the vulnerability. 2. Until patches are released, disable remote file inclusion in PHP by setting 'allow_url_include=Off' and 'allow_url_fopen=Off' in php.ini to prevent remote file fetching. 3. Implement strict input validation and sanitization on all parameters used in include/require statements to ensure only trusted local files are referenced. 4. Employ Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) with rules specifically designed to detect and block RFI attack patterns targeting PHP applications. 5. Conduct comprehensive code reviews and security audits of all PHP code to identify and remediate unsafe dynamic file inclusion practices. 6. Restrict web server permissions to limit the impact of any successful exploitation, such as running PHP processes with minimal privileges and isolating web application directories. 7. Monitor web server logs for unusual requests or inclusion attempts that could indicate exploitation attempts. 8. Educate development and IT teams about secure coding practices related to file inclusion and PHP configuration hardening.