TL;DR

A high-severity Local File Inclusion (LFI) vulnerability (CVE-2025-69397, CVSS 8.1) affects the Tint WordPress theme versions up to and including 1.7. The issue is exploitable by unauthenticated attackers and may disclose sensitive files (for example, wp-config.php) and—when chained with other techniques such as log poisoning—lead to remote code execution. No official patch was publicly available at the time of this writing. If you run Tint (≤1.7), treat this as an urgent incident: apply immediate mitigations, enable virtual patching via your WAF, and follow the recovery guidance below.

This advisory is prepared by Hong Kong-based security professionals to help site owners, developers, and hosts identify risk, block exploitation, and recover safely.

यह क्यों महत्वपूर्ण है

Local File Inclusion allows an attacker to cause the application to include files from the server filesystem. The most common immediate impact is disclosure of configuration files that contain credentials and secrets (database passwords, salts, API keys). In WordPress environments, disclosure of wp-config.php or other sensitive artifacts may lead to full site takeover or escalation to remote code execution when combined with other factors (writable logs, weak file permissions, upload/execute paths).

• Affects: Tint theme versions ≤ 1.7
• सुरक्षा कमजोरी का प्रकार: स्थानीय फ़ाइल समावेश (LFI)
• CVE: CVE-2025-69397
• CVSS: 8.1 (उच्च)
• आवश्यक विशेषाधिकार: कोई नहीं (अनधिकृत)
• Official fix: None publicly available at time of publication

How LFI vulnerabilities typically work (brief technical primer)

LFI arises when application code constructs a file path using user-controlled input without strict validation or a whitelist, then opens or includes that path. For example:

<?php
$page = $_GET['page'];
include( __DIR__ . '/templates/' . $page . '.php' );
?>

If $page is uncontrolled, an attacker can supply path traversal sequences (../) to escape the intended directory and include arbitrary files:

• /wp-content/themes/tint/?page=../../../../wp-config
• /wp-content/themes/tint/?file=../../../.env

Even non-PHP files can leak credentials if their content is echoed. Attackers may also use stream wrappers (php://filter) to read source or chain LFI with log poisoning to achieve code execution.

Common payloads to watch for:

• ../../../../wp-config.php
• php://filter/convert.base64-encode/resource=…
• expect://, data://, zip:// (dependent on server configuration)

यथार्थवादी हमले के परिदृश्य

1. फ़ाइल प्रकटीकरण: An attacker uses path traversal to include wp-config.php and extracts DB credentials.
2. Log poisoning → RCE: Malicious payload written to a log file is included via LFI, executing code.
3. Sensitive file exposure: .env, backups, or other config files exposed.
4. पार्श्व आंदोलन: With credentials, attackers create admin users, install backdoors, or exfiltrate data.

Even if the vulnerability initially appears to only leak data, treat it as an immediate threat due to chaining risk.

Indicators of attempted exploitation (what to look for)

Inspect access and error logs for signs of probing or exploitation:

• Requests containing many ../ sequences (URL-encoded or plain): ..%2f, ..%2f..%2f
• Requests with php://filter, data:, expect:, zip:, phar://
• Requests referencing wp-config.php, .env, .git, composer.json, backup files (.bak, .old, .sql)
• Requests to theme paths with query parameters like ?page=, ?file=, ?template=, ?tpl=, ?inc=
• Long base64-encoded strings or patterns typical of log-poisoning payloads
• Unexpected 200 responses for files that should not be accessible
• New admin users, changes to wp_options, or unexpected plugin/theme files

If you find suspicious entries, preserve logs immediately (download and archive) and proceed to containment.

Immediate mitigation checklist (prioritise these now)

If you operate a site running the vulnerable Tint versions, perform the following steps immediately. These are ordered to reduce risk quickly.

1. बैकअप — Take a complete offline backup (files + database) before making changes. This preserves evidence and a recovery point.
2. Temporarily switch the active theme — If possible, switch to a default, trusted WordPress theme until the issue is resolved.
3. Disable or remove the Tint theme — If Tint is not required, remove the theme folder from the webroot. If you must keep it temporarily, restrict access to the theme directory.
4. अपने WAF के माध्यम से वर्चुअल पैचिंग लागू करें — Enable path traversal and LFI protections on your edge or webserver WAF. Block requests containing encoded/decoded ../ sequences and stream wrappers, and block attempts to fetch sensitive filenames.
5. Restrict web access to sensitive files — Use webserver rules (Apache/Nginx) to deny access to wp-config.php, .env, .git, and common backup filenames.
6. फ़ाइल अनुमतियों को मजबूत करें — Set wp-config.php to restrictive permissions (e.g., 440 or 400 where possible). Keep files at 644 and directories at 755; limit write permissions.
7. Disable file editing in WordPress — Add to wp-config.php:

   define( 'DISALLOW_FILE_EDIT', true );
   define( 'DISALLOW_FILE_MODS', true );

   Note: DISALLOW_FILE_MODS will prevent plugin/theme installs and updates; use with awareness.

8. क्रेडेंशियल्स को घुमाएं — If you suspect disclosure, rotate DB credentials, WordPress salts, API keys, and any tokens that may have been exposed.
9. समझौते के लिए स्कैन करें — Run thorough malware scans and inspect for new PHP files in uploads, modified timestamps, or obfuscated code (eval, base64_decode).
10. लॉग की निगरानी करें — Preserve and monitor access/error logs. Increase logging temporarily if needed and watch for repeat attempts.

If you manage multiple sites, apply WAF rules fleet-wide to reduce scanning and exploitation while site-level remediation proceeds.

Layered incident controls (recommended approach)

Respond in layers to reduce both immediate risk and follow-on impact:

• वर्चुअल पैचिंग: Deploy precise WAF rules at the edge or webserver to block known exploit patterns without touching application code.
• Malware detection: Run file audits to identify indicators of compromise and suspicious files.
• फ़ाइल अखंडता निगरानी: Alert on new or modified files that match webshell or obfuscated code patterns.
• Webserver-level access controls: Enforce deny rules for critical files and prevent PHP execution in upload directories.
• Forensics and logging: Retain logs and file system snapshots for investigation and post-incident analysis.

Example WAF rules and regexes (for security engineers)

Use the following patterns as guidance. Adapt syntax to your WAF platform (mod_security, Cloud WAF, nginx, etc.). Deploy and monitor in blocking mode only after a learning/logging period to limit false positives.

1) Block common path traversal sequences (including URL-encoded variants)

Regex: (\./../|\.\.\\|%2e%2e%2f|%2e%2e%5c)

SecRule REQUEST_URI|ARGS|ARGS_NAMES "@rx (\.\./|\.\.\\|%2e%2e%2f|%2e%2e%5c)" \
  "id:100001,phase:2,t:none,deny,status:403,msg:'Blocked path traversal attempt',log"

2) Block php://filter and other stream wrappers

Regex: (?i)(php://filter|data:|expect://|zip://|phar://|gopher://)

SecRule REQUEST_URI|ARGS|ARGS_NAMES "@rx (?i)(php://filter|data:|expect://|zip://|phar://|gopher://)" \
  "id:100002,phase:2,t:none,deny,status:403,msg:'Blocked stream wrapper attempt',log"

3) Block attempts to fetch sensitive filenames

Regex: (?i)(wp-config\.php|\.env|\.git|composer\.json|config\.inc\.php|\.htpasswd|backup.*\.sql|dump.*\.sql)

SecRule REQUEST_URI|ARGS|ARGS_NAMES "@rx (?i)(wp-config\.php|\.env|\.git|composer\.json|config\.inc\.php|\.htpasswd|backup.*\.sql|dump.*\.sql)" \
  "id:100003,phase:2,t:none,deny,status:403,msg:'Blocked access to sensitive filename',log"

4) Block PHP code in parameters (heuristic)

Regex: (?i)(<\?php|\bbase64_decode\(|eval\(|system\(|passthru\(|shell_exec\(|exec\()

SecRule ARGS|REQUEST_BODY "@rx (?i)(<\?php|\bbase64_decode\(|eval\(|system\(|passthru\(|shell_exec\(|exec\()" \
  "id:100004,phase:2,t:none,deny,status:403,msg:'Blocked suspected PHP code injection',log"

5) Block very long parameter values

Detect unusually long single parameter values (e.g., > 2000 chars):

SecRule ARGS_NAMES|ARGS "@gt 2000" "id:100005,phase:2,deny,status:403,msg:'Blocked extremely long parameter',log"

नोट्स:

• Log and tune rules before full blocking where possible to reduce false positives.
• Cover URL-encoded variants and multiple HTTP methods.
• Limit whitelists to highly-trusted IPs only; avoid broad whitelisting.

Hardening WordPress and the server (long-term remediation)

Immediate mitigations are critical. For long-term resilience, apply the following controls:

1. Keep components up to date — Themes, plugins and core updates are your first defence. Monitor vendor advisories and apply patches promptly.
2. न्यूनतम विशेषाधिकार — Run services under dedicated users; give database accounts only required privileges.
3. Limit uploads and execution — Deny .php execution in uploads and validate upload file types at the server level:

   location ~* /wp-content/uploads/.*\.(php|phtml|phps)$ {
     deny all;
   }

4. Disable unnecessary PHP wrappers — If features like phar or other wrappers are not required, restrict them in PHP configuration.
5. Secure headers and TLS — Enforce HTTPS and apply HSTS, X-Frame-Options, X-Content-Type-Options, and a sensible Content-Security-Policy.
6. अलग-अलग वातावरण — Do not expose staging or local environment files on production. Keep backups and dumps out of webroot.
7. Secure logging — Ensure logs are not world-writable and are rotated. Sanitize user input before writing to logs to reduce log-poisoning risk.
8. Immutable deployments — Prefer CI/CD deployments from controlled artifacts rather than live installations/edits on production.

13. सुरक्षा विकल्प और संचालन संबंधी मार्गदर्शन

If you suspect exploitation, treat the site as compromised and follow standard incident response steps:

1. अलग करें — Take the site offline or block external traffic at the firewall while investigating. Preserve logs and snapshots.
2. साक्ष्य को संरक्षित करें — Save full filesystem and database backups (hash and store securely). Do not overwrite logs.
3. प्राथमिकता दें — Identify modified files, webshells, obfuscated PHP (eval/base64 constructs), unexpected admin users, and cron jobs.
4. साफ करें — Remove malicious files, restore core files from verified sources, and consider restoring from a known-good backup taken prior to compromise.
5. रहस्यों को घुमाएँ — Change WordPress salts, database passwords, API keys, and other credentials that may have been exposed.
6. निगरानी करें — Increase logging and monitoring post-recovery; keep virtual patches active while confirming cleanup.
7. मूल कारण विश्लेषण — Identify the exploited file/parameter and remediate the code path. If the vulnerable component is the Tint theme and no patch exists, remove or isolate it until an official fix is released.

If you lack in-house expertise, engage a qualified incident response team or your hosting provider’s security specialists.

Recommendations for developers and theme authors

1. Avoid including files directly based on unvalidated user input. Use strict whitelists mapping keys to filenames.
2. Canonicalise and validate paths; use realpath() and ensure resolved paths reside within allowed directories.
3. Sanitise and validate all inputs, including query parameters, headers, and POST bodies.
4. Implement safe template loaders that accept only known keys mapped to internal templates:

   <?php
   $templates = [
     'home' => 'templates/home.php',
     'about' => 'templates/about.php'
   ];
   $key = $_GET['page'] ?? 'home';
   $file = $templates[$key] ?? $templates['home'];
   include $file;
   ?>

5. Log safely — avoid writing raw user input to logs in executable form and ensure logs cannot be executed by the webserver.
6. Integrate static analysis, code review, and security checks into CI pipelines; focus audits on file inclusion points.

Detection: automated and manual checks

• स्वचालित स्कैनिंग — Run scanners that detect LFI patterns and theme-specific issues; enable file integrity monitoring.
• Manual code review — Search for include/require/file_get_contents/fopen/readfile that accept variables derived from $_GET/$_POST/$_REQUEST.
• लॉग समीक्षा — Grep access logs for ..%2f, php://filter, wp-config.php, .env, base64 patterns.
• External validation — Test controls from an external vantage in a staging environment to confirm WAF rules block exploit patterns. Do not perform unauthorised testing on production.

अक्सर पूछे जाने वाले प्रश्न

Q: If I don’t use the Tint theme on my live site, am I safe?

A: If Tint is not installed or active, you are not vulnerable to this theme-specific issue. However, verify that deprecated or unused themes are removed from the themes directory — many sites retain old themes. Remove any unused themes and plugins.

Q: Can I just block all requests with ../?

A: Blocking ../ patterns is important, but attackers commonly use encodings and stream wrappers. Use a layered rule set that includes wrapper blocking, sensitive filename blocking, and heuristics for injected PHP content.

Q: Will rotating DB credentials stop the attack?

A: Rotating credentials is essential after suspected disclosure, but perform rotation after containment and evidence collection. Rotation prevents further abuse of leaked credentials but does not remove any backdoors the attacker may have installed.

Q: When will an official patch be available?

A: At the time of writing, no official fix is publicly published. Monitor the theme author’s official channels and apply the patch immediately when available. Until then, use the mitigations outlined here.

Short incident playbook (copy/paste checklist)

1. Backup files + DB (offline)
2. Enable virtual patching rules (WAF blocking LFI syntax)
3. Switch theme to a safe default OR remove Tint theme
4. Restrict web access to wp-config.php and other sensitive files
5. Run full malware scan and file integrity checks
6. Rotate DB credentials and WordPress salts
7. Monitor logs for new exploitation attempts
8. When clean, patch and restore from known-good backup if needed

Closing — practical summary and next steps

This Local File Inclusion issue affecting the Tint theme (≤ 1.7) is high priority. Assume the worst until you confirm otherwise. Immediate steps:

1. शामिल करें: enable WAF protections and consider taking the site offline for investigation.
2. कम करें: deploy virtual patches that block path traversal, dangerous wrappers, and access to sensitive filenames.
3. जांच करें: preserve logs and scan for evidence of compromise.
4. पुनर्प्राप्त करें: remove malicious content, rotate secrets, and restore from verified backups as needed.

If you manage multiple WordPress sites, apply protective rules broadly while coordinating updates and remediation. If you need professional assistance, engage an experienced WordPress incident response specialist or your hosting security team.

Stay vigilant, avoid running untrusted code, and treat any unauthenticated file-inclusion issue as an urgent security event.

— हांगकांग सुरक्षा विशेषज्ञ