CVE-2025-67174
📋 TL;DR
This CVE describes a local file inclusion vulnerability in RiteCMS v3.1.0 that allows attackers to read arbitrary files on the server through directory traversal in admin.php language file parameters. Attackers can access sensitive system files, configuration files, and potentially source code. This affects all RiteCMS v3.1.0 installations with the vulnerable admin.php component accessible.
💻 Affected Systems
- RiteCMS
📦 What is this software?
Ritecms by Ritecms
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Attackers can read sensitive system files like /etc/passwd, /etc/shadow, database configuration files, and source code, potentially leading to full system compromise through credential theft or privilege escalation.
Likely Case
Attackers read configuration files containing database credentials, API keys, or other sensitive information, leading to data breaches or further system access.
If Mitigated
With proper file permissions and web server restrictions, attackers can only read non-sensitive files within the web directory, limiting impact to application files.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires access to the admin interface. The vulnerability is simple to exploit using directory traversal sequences like ../../../etc/passwd.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Not available
Vendor Advisory: Not available
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Review the vulnerable code in admin.php and settings.inc.tpl. 2. Implement input validation and path sanitization. 3. Consider upgrading to a newer version if available from the vendor.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Input Validation Patch
allAdd input validation to sanitize file paths and prevent directory traversal
Edit admin.php line 46 and settings.inc.tpl line 64 to validate file paths
Implement basename() or realpath() functions to sanitize input
Access Restriction
allRestrict access to admin.php to trusted IP addresses only
Add .htaccess rules: Order Deny,Allow\nDeny from all\nAllow from 192.168.1.0/24
Configure web server ACLs to limit admin access
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement web application firewall (WAF) rules to block directory traversal patterns
- Restrict file system permissions to limit what the web server user can read
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Test if you can access admin.php with parameters like admin_language_file=../../../etc/passwd. Check if the file content is returned.Check Version:
Check RiteCMS version in admin panel or look for version information in source filesVerify Fix Applied:
Attempt the same directory traversal attack after applying fixes. Verify that input validation prevents file path manipulation.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- HTTP requests to admin.php with ../ sequences in parameters
- Unusual file access patterns from web server process
Network Indicators:
- HTTP requests containing directory traversal patterns (../, ..\\) to admin.php
SIEM Query:
source="web_access.log" AND uri="*admin.php*" AND (param="*../*" OR param="*..\\*")🔗 References
- https://github.com/handylulu/RiteCMS
- https://github.com/handylulu/RiteCMS/blob/master/admin.php#L46
- https://github.com/handylulu/RiteCMS/blob/master/cms/subtemplates/settings.inc.tpl#L64
- https://github.com/mbiesiad/vulnerability-research/tree/main/CVE-2025-67174
- https://github.com/mbiesiad/vulnerability-research/tree/main/CVE-2025-67174
