Skip to main content

Academist Core EUVDEUVD-2026-108110

| CVE-2026-112820 HIGH
PHP Remote File Inclusion (CWE-98)
2026-10-22 Patchstack GHSA-hvw3-hvx7-xjjq
8.1
CVSS 3.1 · Vendor: Patchstack
View

Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

  1. Access
    Reach vulnerable plugin endpoint unauthenticated
  2. Delivery
    Supply crafted include/require path parameter
  3. Exploit
    Resolve path to local PHP file
  4. Execution
    Include file into server execution
  5. Impact
    Disclose config/secrets or execute code

Vulnerability Assessment

Weakness
CWE
OWASP Top 10:2025
A05:2025 - Injection
ASVS 5.0
V5 - File Handling File inclusion prevention, allowlisting
MITRE ATT&CK

2 techniques across 2 tactics: Initial Access, Command and Control

The technique list with ATT&CK links and the kill-chain view is part of the Basic plan and up.

Exploitation Conditions

Exploitation requires that the target site runs the Academist Core plugin (version up to and including 1.4.1) and reaches a code path where attacker-influenced input flows into a PHP include/require statement; the specific endpoint, parameter, and feature that trigger the inclusion are not described in the available sources. Limiting factors: the CVSS vector sets AC:H, meaning the attacker must satisfy conditions they do not fully control (such as a resolvable local path or particular request state) for the include to succeed, which constrains reliable or automated exploitation. No authentication (PR:N) and no user interaction (UI:N) are required per the vector. As described this is Local File Inclusion, so an attacker is limited to files already present on the server rather than remote URL inclusion.

Impact

This is a network-reachable, unauthenticated PHP Local File Inclusion (CWE-98) in the Elated-Themes Academist Core WordPress plugin, scored CVSS 8.1 (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H). The AV:N/PR:N/UI:N portion means a remote attacker needs no credentials and no victim interaction, which raises concern; however AC:H indicates the attacker must satisfy conditions outside their control (e.g. a specific path, parameter state, or filesystem layout), which tempers the likelihood of trivial mass exploitation. The reporting source is Patchstack and the vuln.today Decision label is 'this_week', indicating a prioritize-this-week posture rather than emergency. There is NO CISA KEV listing and NO EPSS score provided in the input, so exploitation-probability and active-exploitation signals are simply absent - not low, but unmeasured - and no SSVC automatable/technical-impact fields were supplied. Note a classification tension: the CWE title references 'PHP Remote File Inclusion' and the type is 'Improper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement', but the description explicitly states the impact is Local File Inclusion; treat this as LFI (local files reachable via the include path), not remote URL inclusion, unless the vendor confirms otherwise. Net: a genuine high-severity issue worth near-term patching for anyone running this plugin, but the attack complexity and the absence of KEV/EPSS/working-exploit evidence argue against treating it as an active mass-exploitation emergency.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

A remote, unauthenticated attacker sends a crafted request to a vulnerable Academist Core endpoint that passes attacker-influenced input into a PHP include/require statement, causing a local file on the WordPress host (such as wp-config.php or another sensitive file) to be included and disclosed or executed. Because the CVSS vector is AC:H, the request must meet specific conditions for the inclusion to resolve to a useful file, so success is not guaranteed on a single attempt. No public exploit is identified in the provided data; the only reference is the Patchstack advisory page.

This Week Schedule remediation this week. Why: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9).
No patch listed yet

Get an e-mail when this CVE is exploited, patched or re-scored. Free account.

Alert me

AnalysisAIv1 – Oct 22, 2026

Unauthenticated PHP local file inclusion in the Elated-Themes Academist Core plugin for WordPress (all versions through 1.4.1) lets a remote attacker steer an include/require statement toward files already present on the server, exposing their contents and, depending on what is included, influencing executed code - scored CVSS 8.1 (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H). The vector requires no authentication and no user interaction, but AC:H reflects conditions the attacker does not fully control (such as a resolvable local path or a particular request state), which limits reliable or automated exploitation. Reported by Patchstack and prioritized as 'this_week'; no public exploit code or CISA KEV entry was identified at time of analysis, and the specific endpoint, parameter and feature that trigger the inclusion are not described in the available sources.

RemediationAI

No vendor-released patch version is identified in the available data, so the first step is to consult the Patchstack advisory (https://patchstack.com/database/wordpress/plugin/academist-core/vulnerability/wordpress-academist-core-plugin-1-4-1-local-file-inclusion-vulnerability?_s_id=cve) and the Elated-Themes channel for the fixed Academist Core release and upgrade past 1.4.1 as soon as it is published, verifying the version on disk after the update. If the plugin is not essential - for example when the Academist theme is not in active use - deactivating and deleting it removes the exposure entirely, at the cost of losing the theme's companion functionality such as its custom post types, shortcodes and template modules. Where removal is not possible, reduce reachability of the vulnerable code path by restricting or blocking requests that target the plugin's PHP files under /wp-content/plugins/academist-core/ and any admin-ajax.php actions it registers, using a WAF or web server rules, accepting that broad blocking of admin-ajax.php can break legitimate theme features and that such rules are bypass-prone. Because exploitation is unauthenticated (PR:N) and needs no user interaction (UI:N), also review web server and PHP logs for anomalous include-style parameters or traversal sequences against the plugin's endpoints, and treat any such hits as potential local file disclosure requiring credential and secret rotation.

Affected VersionsENISA

Academist Core 0 ≤1.4.1

Affected Packages

euvd academist_core no fix

Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)

Affects your stack

Affects 1 package in euvd

Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.

Technical ContextAI · show details

The root cause is CWE-98, Improper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement in PHP Program, the classic PHP file-inclusion class. In PHP, include/require (and _once variants) resolve a filename at runtime; when a plugin builds that path from request-derived input without an allow-list, an attacker can point it at another file. Despite the CWE label carrying the legacy 'PHP Remote File Inclusion' name, the assessed impact is Local File Inclusion: the attacker is confined to files already residing on the server rather than arbitrary remote URLs, which is what keeps the vector at AC:H in this assessment. The affected component is the Academist Core companion/theme-framework plugin (Elated-Themes) for WordPress, indicated by CPE cpe:2.3:a:elated-themes:academist_core:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* with a wildcard covering every release up to and including 1.4.1; because such plugins typically ship theme-support modules (custom post types, shortcodes, template loaders, AJAX handlers), any of those entry points could host the sink, and the supplied sources do not identify which. Tags PHP, Local File Inclusion and Information Disclosure align with reading local file contents, while the C/I:H components in the vector reflect the possibility that the included file's contents are executed or that the inclusion path can be shaped to affect integrity - the evidence does not state whether log poisoning or uploaded-file chaining is reachable, so that escalation remains unverified.

Know when PHP gets its next vulnerability

  • Watch products and get an email when something new is published
  • Check this CVE against your own stack and servers
  • Exploit and PoC references, threat intelligence from 22 sources

No credit card · 7-day full trial

Severity by source

Vendor (Patchstack) PRIMARY 8.1 HIGH
AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
vuln.today AI 8.1 HIGH

Network-reachable unauthenticated LFI (AV:N/PR:N/UI:N); AC:H retained because the include path must resolve to a usable local file under conditions the attacker does not fully control, with full C/I/A impact if local PHP is included and executed.

3.1 AV:N/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
4.0 AV:N/AC:H/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Primary rating from Vendor (Patchstack).

CVSS VectorVendor: Patchstack

Attack Vector
Network
Attack Complexity
High
Privileges Required
None
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

DescriptionCVE.org

Improper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement in PHP Program ('PHP Remote File Inclusion') vulnerability in Elated-Themes Academist Core academist-core allows PHP Local File Inclusion.This issue affects Academist Core: from n/a through 1.4.1.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

CVE-2026-112820 is a high-severity vulnerability in the Elated-Themes Academist Core plugin (all versions up to 1.4.1) used on WordPress sites. Unauthenticated attackers could potentially include local files, leading to data exposure or code execution, but exploitation is limited by high attack complexity. With no patch available, any site running this plugin is at risk and leadership should prioritize immediate mitigation.

Business Impact: High
Compensating Controls

Deploy WAF rules to detect and block local file inclusion attempts; restrict file system permissions; disable the plugin if feasible; monitor for suspicious file access.

Threat Intelligence Overview

Prevalence
Low
niche WordPress theme add-on plugin, limited education/portfolio-site footprint
Data Quality
5 sources
Confidence: Medium
EUVD NVD CVE.org Vulnrichment VulDB

How this decision was reached

The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.

SignalValue
Severity HIGH
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS N/A
Patch available No
Active threat No
Deciding rule
HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9)
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision
Scheduled
Exploitation
None
System Exposure· derived
Open
Automatable
No
Human Impact
High
Technical Impact
Total

Priority Score

40
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +40
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

Local File Inclusion vulnerabilities occur when an application accepts user-controlled input to specify which file should be loaded or executed, typically through functions like PHP's `include()`, `require()`, or `fopen()`.

Information disclosure occurs when an application unintentionally exposes sensitive data that aids attackers in reconnaissance or directly compromises security.

More in PHP

View all
CVE-2019-11043 CRITICAL POC
9.8 Oct 28

In PHP versions 7.1.x below 7.1.33, 7.2.x below 7.2.24 and 7.3.x below 7.3.11 in certain configurations of FPM setup it

CVE-2012-1823 CRITICAL POC
9.8 May 11

sapi/cgi/cgi_main.c in PHP before 5.3.12 and 5.4.x before 5.4.2, when configured as a CGI script (aka php-cgi), does not

CVE-2016-1555 CRITICAL POC
9.8 Apr 21

(1) boardData102.php, (2) boardData103.php, (3) boardDataJP.php, (4) boardDataNA.php, and (5) boardDataWW.php in Netgear

CVE-2018-11138 CRITICAL POC
9.8 May 31

The '/common/download_agent_installer.php' script in the Quest KACE System Management Appliance 8.0.318 is accessible by

CVE-2024-11680 CRITICAL POC
9.8 Nov 26

ProjectSend versions prior to r1720 are affected by an improper authentication vulnerability. Rated critical severity (C

CVE-2025-49113 CRITICAL POC
9.9 Jun 02

Roundcube Webmail contains a critical PHP object deserialization vulnerability (CVE-2025-49113, CVSS 9.9) that allows au

CVE-2017-9841 CRITICAL POC
9.8 Jun 27

Util/PHP/eval-stdin.php in PHPUnit before 4.8.28 and 5.x before 5.6.3 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary PHP c

CVE-2025-0108 HIGH POC
8.8 Feb 12

Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS management web interface contains an authentication bypass allowing unauthenticated attackers

CVE-2021-25298 HIGH POC
8.8 Feb 15

Nagios XI version xi-5.7.5 is affected by OS command injection. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is re

CVE-2021-25296 HIGH POC
8.8 Feb 15

Nagios XI version xi-5.7.5 is affected by OS command injection. Rated high severity (CVSS 8.8), this vulnerability is re

CVE-2013-4983 CRITICAL POC
10.0 Sep 10

The get_referers function in /opt/ws/bin/sblistpack in Sophos Web Appliance before 3.7.9.1 and 3.8 before 3.8.1.1 allows

CVE-2023-6553 CRITICAL POC
9.8 Dec 15

The Backup Migration plugin for WordPress is vulnerable to Remote Code Execution in all versions up to, and including, 1

This site uses cookies essential for authentication and security. No tracking or analytics cookies are used. Privacy Policy