CVE-2025-53578 is a high-severity vulnerability identified in the Gavias Kipso product, a PHP-based application, affecting versions up to 1.3.4. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-98, which involves improper control of filenames used in include or require statements within PHP programs. This flaw allows for PHP Remote File Inclusion (RFI) or Local File Inclusion (LFI), where an attacker can manipulate the filename parameter to include arbitrary files. This can lead to remote code execution, data disclosure, or complete compromise of the affected system. The vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.1, indicating a high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The attack vector is network-based (AV:N), requires no privileges (PR:N), no user interaction (UI:N), but has a high attack complexity (AC:H), meaning exploitation requires specific conditions or knowledge. The scope is unchanged (S:U), but successful exploitation can lead to full system compromise. 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 specify malicious file paths, potentially including remote URLs or local sensitive files. This can lead to execution of arbitrary PHP code, theft of sensitive data, or denial of service.

For European organizations using Gavias Kipso, this vulnerability poses a significant risk. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data, including personal data protected under GDPR, resulting in regulatory penalties and reputational damage. The ability to execute arbitrary code remotely can allow attackers to pivot within networks, deploy ransomware, or disrupt services, impacting business continuity. Organizations in sectors such as education, publishing, or any industry relying on Kipso for content management or web presence are particularly at risk. The high severity and network exploitability mean attackers can target exposed web servers without authentication, increasing the threat surface. Additionally, the lack of available patches means organizations must act quickly to mitigate risk. The impact extends beyond confidentiality to integrity and availability, potentially causing widespread operational disruption.

Immediate mitigation should include disabling or restricting the vulnerable include/require functionality if possible, or applying input validation and sanitization to ensure only safe, expected file paths are processed. Organizations should implement web application firewalls (WAFs) with rules to detect and block suspicious file inclusion attempts, such as those containing directory traversal sequences or remote URLs. Restricting PHP configurations to disable allow_url_include and allow_url_fopen can reduce risk of remote file inclusion. Monitoring web server logs for anomalous requests targeting include parameters is critical for early detection. Until an official patch is released, consider isolating affected systems behind network segmentation and limiting external exposure. Conduct thorough code reviews to identify and remediate similar insecure coding patterns. Finally, maintain regular backups and incident response plans to minimize impact if exploitation occurs.