Local File Inclusion Vulnerability in Hide My WP Ghost Plugin by John Darrel

CVE-2025-26909

What is CVE-2025-26909?

CVE-2025-26909 refers to a vulnerability affecting the Hide My WP Ghost plugin developed by John Darrel, which is designed to enhance the security and privacy of WordPress sites by obscuring their actual paths and preventing unauthorized access to sensitive files. This vulnerability allows for Local File Inclusion (LFI), which can potentially be exploited by attackers to access local files on the server, leading to unauthorized data exposure or code execution. The presence of such a flaw can significantly undermine an organization's web security posture, increasing the risk of compromised data integrity and confidentiality.

Technical Details

The vulnerability arises from improper controls over filenames used in Include/Require statements within the PHP program of the Hide My WP Ghost plugin. Specifically, it can allow attackers to manipulate the file paths, resulting in the inclusion of unintended files from the server's filesystem. This type of exploitation typically hinges on the server's misconfiguration or insufficient validation of user input, making it relatively straightforward for an attacker to leverage.

Potential impact of CVE-2025-26909

1. Data Exposure: Successful exploitation of this vulnerability can lead to unauthorized access to sensitive files, exposing confidential information stored on the server, which could include user data, configuration files, or vital system information.

2. Remote Code Execution: In some scenarios, an attacker could craft specific exploit payloads that not only reveal sensitive data but also allow for the execution of arbitrary code on the server, leading to a complete takeover of the affected system.

3. System Integrity Compromise: The vulnerability poses risks to the integrity of the web application, as it enables attackers to include files that could lead to the installation of backdoors or other malicious software, further jeopardizing the entire web infrastructure and potentially facilitating future attacks.

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