CVE-2025-54716 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 ovatheme Ireca product, versions up to and including 1.8.5. The flaw allows for PHP Remote File Inclusion (RFI), enabling an attacker to manipulate the filename parameter used in include or require statements to load malicious remote files. This can lead to arbitrary code execution on the affected server. The vulnerability is remotely exploitable over the network without requiring authentication or user interaction, but it has a high attack complexity, indicating some conditions must be met for successful exploitation. The CVSS v3.1 base score is 8.1, reflecting high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Successful exploitation could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary PHP code, potentially leading to full system compromise, data theft, defacement, or use of the server as a pivot point for further attacks. No known exploits are currently reported in the wild, and no patches have been linked yet, which may indicate a window of exposure for users of affected versions. The vulnerability arises from insufficient validation or sanitization of user-controlled input used in file inclusion functions, a common and critical security flaw in PHP applications.

For European organizations using ovatheme Ireca, this vulnerability poses a significant risk. If exploited, attackers could gain unauthorized remote code execution capabilities, leading to potential data breaches involving sensitive customer or business data, disruption of services, and reputational damage. Organizations in sectors such as e-commerce, media, or any web-facing services that utilize Ireca themes could face operational downtime and compliance violations under GDPR due to unauthorized data access. The high impact on confidentiality, integrity, and availability means that critical business functions could be compromised. Additionally, compromised servers could be leveraged for further attacks within organizational networks or used as part of botnets, increasing the threat landscape. The lack of available patches and absence of known exploits in the wild suggests that proactive mitigation is essential to prevent exploitation once threat actors develop or obtain exploit code.

1. Immediate mitigation should involve auditing all web applications using ovatheme Ireca themes to identify affected versions (up to 1.8.5). 2. Where possible, restrict or disable the use of dynamic include or require statements that accept user input. 3. Implement strict input validation and sanitization to ensure that only allowed filenames or paths are processed. 4. Employ web application firewalls (WAFs) with custom rules to detect and block suspicious file inclusion attempts targeting the vulnerable parameter. 5. Monitor web server logs for unusual requests that attempt to exploit file inclusion vulnerabilities. 6. If patches become available, prioritize their immediate deployment in test and production environments. 7. Consider isolating or sandboxing web applications using Ireca themes to limit potential damage from exploitation. 8. Educate development and security teams about secure coding practices related to file inclusion to prevent recurrence. 9. Regularly update and patch all components of the web stack to reduce the attack surface.