Introduction
Attackers with Contributor-level access can execute arbitrary PHP code on thousands of WordPress sites running the Soledad theme, leading to privilege escalation and potential full compromise. CVE-2025-8142 impacts all Soledad theme versions up to and including 8.6.7, a product widely adopted by bloggers, publishers, and businesses for its flexibility and design options.
About Soledad and PenciDesign: Soledad is a premium multi-concept WordPress theme developed by PenciDesign, a vendor with a significant presence on ThemeForest. The theme is used by over 40,000 customers globally, powering a wide range of content-heavy sites. PenciDesign has released multiple WordPress products, but Soledad remains their flagship, making vulnerabilities in this theme particularly impactful for the WordPress ecosystem.
Technical Information
CVE-2025-8142 is a Local File Inclusion vulnerability caused by improper validation of the header_layout parameter in the Soledad WordPress theme. All versions up to and including 8.6.7 are affected. The flaw allows any authenticated user with Contributor-level access or higher to specify arbitrary file paths for inclusion, resulting in the execution of any PHP code present in those files.
The vulnerability is classified as CWE-98: Improper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement in PHP Program. The root cause is the lack of input sanitization or restriction on the header_layout parameter. This enables attackers to:
- Include PHP files that already exist on the server
- Leverage directory traversal sequences to access files outside the intended directory
- Execute uploaded PHP files if upload functionality is available or misconfigured
No public code snippets are available for this vulnerability. Exploitation requires Contributor-level authentication, but this privilege is commonly granted to content creators and guest authors, making exploitation plausible in real-world scenarios.
Patch Information
Oracle has released a security update for the Oracle Linux kernel, addressing several vulnerabilities and enhancements. One notable fix pertains to the Common Internet File System (CIFS) module, specifically targeting an integer overflow issue when processing the acregmax mount option. This vulnerability, identified as CVE-2025-21964, could potentially allow attackers to exploit the system by providing malicious input that triggers the overflow.
To mitigate this risk, the kernel has been updated to version 5.14.0-570.18.1.0.1_6.OL9, which includes the necessary patches to resolve the identified vulnerabilities. Users are strongly encouraged to upgrade to this latest kernel version to ensure their systems are protected against these security issues.
For detailed information on the update and instructions on how to apply it, please refer to the official Oracle Linux Errata page:
Affected Systems and Versions
- Soledad WordPress theme, all versions up to and including 8.6.7
- Only WordPress installations with Contributor-level or higher authenticated users are vulnerable
- The vulnerability is present regardless of specific WordPress core version, as it is theme-specific
Vendor Security History
PenciDesign has a documented history of vulnerabilities affecting the Soledad theme:
- CVE-2024-11289: Local File Inclusion in versions up to and including 8.5.9
- Cross-Site Scripting and Cross-Site Request Forgery vulnerabilities in earlier versions
- The vendor typically releases patches in response to disclosures, but similar issues have recurred, indicating gaps in secure development practices