CVE-2026-28010
Local File Inclusion in ThemeREX Scientia
Publication date: 2026-03-05
Last updated on: 2026-03-05
Assigner: Patchstack
Description
Description
CVSS Scores
EPSS Scores
| Probability: | |
| Percentile: |
Meta Information
Affected Vendors & Products
| Vendor | Product | Version / Range |
|---|---|---|
| themerex | scientia | to 1.2.4 (inc) |
| themerex | scientia | From 1.0.0 (inc) to 1.2.4 (inc) |
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
| CWE ID | Description |
|---|---|
| CWE-98 | The PHP application receives input from an upstream component, but it does not restrict or incorrectly restricts the input before its usage in "require," "include," or similar functions. |
Attack-Flow Graph
AI Powered Q&A
Can you explain this vulnerability to me?
CVE-2026-28010 is a Local File Inclusion (LFI) vulnerability in the WordPress Scientia Theme versions up to and including 1.2.4. It allows an unauthenticated attacker to include and display local files from the target website.
This means the attacker can potentially access sensitive files on the server, such as configuration files or database credentials, by exploiting improper control of filename parameters in PHP include or require statements.
How can this vulnerability impact me? :
[{'type': 'paragraph', 'content': 'Exploitation of this vulnerability can lead to exposure of sensitive information like database credentials.'}, {'type': 'paragraph', 'content': "Depending on the website's configuration, an attacker could achieve a complete database takeover."}, {'type': 'paragraph', 'content': 'This poses a high risk to the security and integrity of the affected website.'}] [1]
How does this vulnerability affect compliance with common standards and regulations (like GDPR, HIPAA)?:
I don't know
How can this vulnerability be detected on my network or system? Can you suggest some commands?
[{'type': 'paragraph', 'content': 'This vulnerability allows an unauthenticated attacker to include and display local files from the target website by exploiting improper control of filename in PHP include/require statements.'}, {'type': 'paragraph', 'content': 'To detect attempts to exploit this vulnerability on your system or network, you can monitor web server logs for suspicious requests that include unusual file paths or parameters attempting Local File Inclusion (LFI).'}, {'type': 'paragraph', 'content': 'Common detection commands or methods include searching for URL parameters containing directory traversal patterns or file inclusion keywords.'}, {'type': 'list_item', 'content': 'Use grep or similar tools to scan web server access logs for suspicious patterns, for example:'}, {'type': 'list_item', 'content': 'grep -iE "(\\.|%2e){2,}/" /var/log/apache2/access.log'}, {'type': 'list_item', 'content': 'grep -i "include" /var/log/apache2/access.log'}, {'type': 'list_item', 'content': 'Look for requests containing parameters that might be used for file inclusion, such as ?page= or ?file= with suspicious values.'}] [1]
What immediate steps should I take to mitigate this vulnerability?
Since no official patch is currently available for the Scientia theme up to version 1.2.4, immediate mitigation is critical.
Patchstack has issued a mitigation rule to block attacks targeting this vulnerability until an official patch can be safely applied.
- Implement the Patchstack mitigation rule to block exploit attempts.
- Monitor and restrict access to sensitive files on the server to minimize exposure.
- Consider disabling or restricting the vulnerable theme until a patch is released.
- Regularly monitor logs for suspicious activity related to file inclusion attempts.