Executive brief
The Fortius theme for WordPress is vulnerable to a security flaw that allows unauthorized individuals to access sensitive files on the web server. By exploiting this vulnerability, an attacker could view configuration files containing database credentials or other private information, potentially leading to a full site takeover. This issue affects websites using the Fortius theme version 2.3.0 or earlier.
Technical details
A Local File Inclusion (LFI) vulnerability exists in the ThemeREX Fortius theme for WordPress (versions <= 2.3.0) due to improper control of filenames in PHP include/require statements (CWE-98). An unauthenticated remote attacker can exploit this by sending crafted requests to include local files from the server's filesystem. Successful exploitation can lead to the disclosure of sensitive information, such as wp-config.php, or potentially remote code execution if the attacker can upload or influence the content of a local file. As of the advisory date, no official patch has been released, and users are advised to seek alternative mitigations or themes.
Affected products
- ThemeREX Fortius <= 2.3.0
Timeline
- 2025-10-15: other: Vulnerability reported by researcher
- 2026-05-26: advisory: Patchstack published advisory
- 2026-06-17: disclosed: CVE published to NVD