CVE-2025-59564 is a vulnerability classified as improper control of filename for include/require statements in the ThemeMove EduMall PHP application, which enables remote file inclusion (RFI). This vulnerability arises because the application does not properly validate or sanitize user-supplied input used in PHP include or require functions, allowing an attacker to specify a remote file to be included and executed by the server. The affected versions are all prior to 4.4.5, with no exact initial version specified. The vulnerability is remotely exploitable without authentication or user interaction, as indicated by the CVSS vector (AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N), though it requires high attack complexity. Successful exploitation can lead to full compromise of the server, including arbitrary code execution, data theft, data manipulation, and service disruption. The vulnerability impacts confidentiality, integrity, and availability severely. No public exploits are known yet, but the high CVSS score (8.1) underscores the critical nature of the flaw. The vulnerability was reserved in September 2025 and published in October 2025, indicating recent discovery. EduMall is a PHP-based e-learning platform, and such vulnerabilities can be particularly damaging in educational environments where sensitive student and institutional data is stored.

For European organizations, especially educational institutions and e-learning service providers using ThemeMove EduMall, this vulnerability poses a significant risk. Exploitation could lead to unauthorized access to sensitive student data, intellectual property, and administrative information. It could also allow attackers to deploy malware, ransomware, or use the compromised servers as a foothold for lateral movement within organizational networks. The disruption of e-learning services could impact educational continuity, particularly in countries with high reliance on digital education platforms. Additionally, data breaches resulting from this vulnerability could lead to regulatory penalties under GDPR due to exposure of personal data. The high attack complexity somewhat limits mass exploitation but does not eliminate risk, especially from skilled threat actors targeting critical educational infrastructure.

Immediate mitigation should focus on upgrading EduMall installations to version 4.4.5 or later once patches are released by ThemeMove. Until patches are available, organizations should implement strict input validation and sanitization on any parameters used in include/require statements, restricting them to allow only whitelisted local files. Employing web application firewalls (WAFs) with rules to detect and block remote file inclusion attempts is recommended. Disabling allow_url_include and allow_url_fopen directives in PHP configurations can reduce the risk of RFI exploitation. Regularly auditing and monitoring web server logs for suspicious inclusion attempts can help detect early exploitation attempts. Network segmentation of e-learning servers and limiting their outbound internet access can reduce the impact of a successful exploit. Finally, organizations should prepare incident response plans specific to web application compromises.