Executive Summary

CVE-2026-39679 is a Local File Inclusion (LFI) vulnerability in the WordPress Freeio Theme versions up to and including 1.3.21. It allows an attacker with contributor or developer privileges to include and display local files from the target website.

This means the attacker can access sensitive files on the server, such as those containing database credentials, which could lead to a complete database takeover depending on the site's configuration.

The vulnerability is related to improper control of filenames used in PHP include or require statements, which is a form of injection vulnerability classified under OWASP Top 10 A3: Injection.

Useful 0 Not Useful 0

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability can allow attackers with certain privileges to read sensitive files on your website server.

If exploited, it could lead to exposure of critical information such as database credentials, potentially resulting in a full database takeover.

Such an attack could compromise the confidentiality and integrity of your website data and may disrupt normal operations.

Useful 0 Not Useful 0

Mitigation Strategies

Immediate mitigation involves updating the affected Freeio theme to a newer version if available.

If no official patch is available, seek assistance from your hosting provider or a developer to apply necessary fixes or workarounds.

Be aware that this vulnerability allows attackers with contributor or developer privileges to include local files, so restricting such privileges can also help reduce risk.

Useful 0 Not Useful 0

Compliance Impact

The vulnerability allows an attacker with contributor or developer privileges to include local files from the target website and display their contents. Such files may contain sensitive information like database credentials, potentially enabling a complete database takeover depending on the site's configuration.

Exposure of sensitive data through this vulnerability could lead to non-compliance with data protection regulations such as GDPR or HIPAA, which require the protection of personal and sensitive information from unauthorized access.

Therefore, exploitation of this vulnerability may result in breaches of confidentiality and data security obligations mandated by these common standards and regulations.

Useful 0 Not Useful 0

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is a Local File Inclusion (LFI) issue in the WordPress Freeio Theme up to version 1.3.21, allowing an attacker with contributor or developer privileges to include local files. Detection typically involves checking for suspicious include or require statements in PHP code or monitoring web requests that attempt to access local files.

To detect exploitation attempts on your system or network, you can look for unusual HTTP requests containing parameters that reference local files or directory traversal patterns.

• Use web server access logs to search for suspicious requests, for example, using grep to find attempts to include local files: grep -i 'include' /var/log/apache2/access.log
• Look for directory traversal patterns in URLs, such as '../' sequences: grep -E '\.\./' /var/log/apache2/access.log
• Use curl or wget to test if the vulnerable parameter is accessible and can include local files, for example: curl 'http://yourwebsite.com/?page=../../../../etc/passwd'

Additionally, reviewing the theme files for improper control of filename parameters in include or require statements can help identify the vulnerability.

Useful 0 Not Useful 0