CVE-2025-68063 in Splash Plugin
Summary
by MITRE • 06/26/2026
Contributor Local File Inclusion in Splash - Sport Club WordPress Theme for Basketball, Football, Hockey <= 4.4.3 versions.
Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.
Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 06/26/2026
The vulnerability identified as local file inclusion in the Splash WordPress theme represents a critical security weakness that allows attackers to manipulate file inclusion mechanisms within the theme's codebase. This issue specifically affects versions 4.4.3 and earlier of the Sport Club WordPress theme, which is designed for sports websites including basketball, football, and hockey content management. The vulnerability stems from inadequate input validation and sanitization practices within the theme's core functionality where user-supplied parameters are directly used in file inclusion operations without proper security checks.
The technical flaw manifests when the theme processes certain parameters that control content display or template loading, allowing malicious actors to inject arbitrary file paths into system calls that load PHP files. This creates an opportunity for attackers to access sensitive files on the server, potentially including configuration files, database credentials, or other critical system resources. The vulnerability operates at the application level and can be exploited through various vectors including direct parameter manipulation in URL strings or through crafted requests that target specific theme functions.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple information disclosure as it provides attackers with the capability to execute arbitrary code on the affected WordPress installation. Once an attacker successfully exploits the local file inclusion vulnerability, they can potentially gain full control over the website and underlying server resources. This compromises not only the integrity of the sports content management system but also exposes the entire website infrastructure to further attack vectors including data exfiltration, malware deployment, or use as a pivot point for attacking other systems within the network.
Security professionals should note that this vulnerability aligns with common weakness enumerations such as CWE-22, which describes improper limitation of a pathname to a restricted directory, and CWE-94, which covers improper control of generation of code. The attack pattern corresponds to techniques documented in the ATT&CK framework under T1059 for command and scripting interpreter and T1566 for credential access through exploitation of software vulnerabilities. Organizations using affected versions of this theme must immediately implement patch management procedures to upgrade to version 4.4.4 or later, which includes proper input validation and sanitization measures that prevent malicious file path injection attempts.
Mitigation strategies should include immediate removal of the vulnerable theme from active use, implementation of web application firewalls with rules specifically designed to detect and block local file inclusion patterns, and comprehensive security auditing of all installed themes and plugins. Additionally, organizations should establish regular security scanning procedures to identify similar vulnerabilities in their WordPress installations and ensure that all third-party components are kept up to date with the latest security patches. The vulnerability demonstrates the critical importance of input validation in web applications and highlights how seemingly minor implementation flaws can result in severe security consequences across entire website infrastructures.