CVE-2025-56431 is a directory traversal vulnerability identified in Fearless Geek Media's FearlessCMS version 0.0.2-15. The flaw exists in the plugin-handler.php script, which improperly sanitizes input parameters used by the PHP file_get_contents() function. This allows an attacker to manipulate file paths and access files outside the intended directory scope. Although the vulnerability does not allow data disclosure or modification, it can be leveraged to cause a denial of service by forcing the system to read unintended files or trigger errors that disrupt normal CMS operations. The vulnerability requires no privileges or user interaction, making it remotely exploitable over the network. The CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.5 reflects the high impact on availability combined with low attack complexity and no required privileges. No patches or fixes have been linked yet, and no exploits have been reported in the wild, indicating that the vulnerability is newly disclosed. The underlying weakness corresponds to CWE-22 (Improper Limitation of a Pathname to a Restricted Directory), a common issue in web applications that handle file inputs insecurely.

For European organizations, the primary impact of CVE-2025-56431 is denial of service, which can disrupt website availability and business operations relying on FearlessCMS. This could affect public-facing websites, internal portals, or any service built on this CMS, leading to potential downtime and loss of user trust. Although no data breach or integrity compromise is involved, service interruptions can have cascading effects, especially for critical sectors such as government, healthcare, and finance. The ease of remote exploitation without authentication increases the risk of automated attacks or scanning by threat actors. Organizations using FearlessCMS in Europe should be aware that unpatched systems could be targeted to cause outages or degrade service quality. The absence of known exploits in the wild currently reduces immediate risk but does not eliminate the threat, as attackers may develop exploits following public disclosure.

Organizations should immediately audit their use of FearlessCMS to identify affected versions (0.0.2-15). In the absence of an official patch, mitigation steps include implementing strict input validation and sanitization on the plugin-handler.php parameters to prevent directory traversal sequences (e.g., ../). Web application firewalls (WAFs) can be configured to detect and block suspicious path traversal patterns targeting plugin-handler.php. Restricting file system permissions to limit the CMS's access to only necessary directories reduces the potential impact of exploitation. Monitoring web server logs for anomalous requests to plugin-handler.php can help detect exploitation attempts early. If possible, isolate the CMS environment to minimize the blast radius of a successful attack. Organizations should stay alert for vendor patches or updates and apply them promptly once available. Additionally, conducting penetration testing focused on directory traversal vulnerabilities can help identify residual risks.