CVE-2025-58946 is a vulnerability classified as Improper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement in the PHP program Vocal by axiomthemes. This vulnerability allows remote attackers to exploit a Local File Inclusion (LFI) flaw by manipulating the filename parameter used in PHP include or require statements. The flaw arises because the application does not properly validate or sanitize user-supplied input that determines which files are included during runtime. An attacker can leverage this to include arbitrary files from the server's filesystem, potentially exposing sensitive information such as configuration files, source code, or credentials. The vulnerability affects Vocal versions up to and including 1.12. The CVSS 3.1 base score is 8.2, indicating high severity, with the vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:L/A:N. This means the attack can be performed remotely over the network without any privileges or user interaction, impacting confidentiality highly, integrity to a lesser extent, and not affecting availability. No known public exploits have been reported yet, but the vulnerability is publicly disclosed and should be addressed promptly. The vulnerability was reserved in September 2025 and published in December 2025. The lack of patch links suggests that a fix may not yet be available, increasing urgency for mitigation.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a significant risk to the confidentiality of sensitive data hosted on servers running the affected Vocal PHP application. Attackers exploiting this flaw can read arbitrary files, potentially gaining access to credentials, private keys, or internal documentation, which could facilitate further attacks or data breaches. The integrity impact is limited but not negligible, as attackers might manipulate included files if combined with other vulnerabilities. Availability is not directly impacted. Organizations in sectors such as media, publishing, or any using Vocal themes for content management are at risk. Given the remote and unauthenticated nature of the exploit, the threat surface is broad. The impact is exacerbated in environments lacking strict file system permissions or web application firewalls. European data protection regulations like GDPR increase the consequences of data exposure, potentially leading to regulatory fines and reputational damage.

1. Immediately audit all Vocal installations and identify versions up to 1.12 in use. 2. Apply vendor patches as soon as they become available; monitor axiomthemes and security advisories closely. 3. Implement strict input validation and sanitization on any parameters used in include/require statements to prevent arbitrary file inclusion. 4. Employ web application firewalls (WAFs) with rules to detect and block suspicious file inclusion attempts. 5. Restrict PHP include paths using open_basedir or disable allow_url_include in php.ini to limit file inclusion scope. 6. Harden file system permissions to ensure the web server user cannot read sensitive files unnecessarily. 7. Monitor server logs for anomalous requests targeting file inclusion vectors. 8. Consider isolating vulnerable applications in segmented network zones to reduce lateral movement risk. 9. Educate developers and administrators about secure coding practices related to file inclusion. 10. If immediate patching is not possible, consider disabling or restricting the vulnerable functionality temporarily.