critical CVSS 9.9

CVE-2026-25510·PHP vulnerability

CI4MS is a CodeIgniter 4-based CMS skeleton that delivers a production-ready, modular architecture with RBAC authorization and theme support. Prior to version 0.28.5.0, an authenticated user with file editor permissions can achieve Remote Code Execution (RCE) by leveraging the file creation and save endpoints, an attacker can upload and execute arbitrary PHP code on the server. This issue has been patched in version 0.28.5.0.

Severity
critical
Software
PHP
Fixed in
0.28.5.0
Published
2026-02-03

Affected versions

Until: 0.28.5.0

Fixed in: 0.28.5.0

How to fix this CVE

Update CI4MS to version 0.28.5.0 or later to patch a critical remote code execution vulnerability in the file editor functionality. This vulnerability allows authenticated users with file editing permissions to upload and execute arbitrary PHP code on your server. Apply the update immediately as this is a critical severity issue (CVSS 9.9).

sudo dnf update php

Defensia detects this vulnerability

What an exploitation attempt looks like

Sample log line indicative of exploitation attempts:

POST /file/save|POST /file/create with Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded or multipart/form-data containing PHP code patterns (<?php|eval|system|exec|shell_exec|passthru) in file content or filename parameters

WAF mitigation (if patching is not yet possible)

Add this rule to your WAF to block exploitation attempts while you schedule the patch. 

Block or rate-limit POST requests to CI4MS file editor endpoints (/file/save, /file/create) unless originating from trusted administrative IP ranges. Implement request body inspection to reject uploads containing PHP execution functions (eval, system, exec, passthru, base64_decode followed by eval). Require additional authentication headers or tokens for file operations.

How to check if you are affected

  1. Run `php -v` to check your current PHP version and verify the CI4MS installation path in your web root
  2. Check the CI4MS version by examining `composer.json` or the version file in your CI4MS installation directory (usually located in `/var/www/html/` or similar)
  3. Search web server logs for POST requests to `/file/save` or `/file/create` endpoints with suspicious payloads: `grep -E '(file/(save|create)|\.(php|phtml|php3|php4|php5))' /var/log/apache2/access.log`
  4. Verify the patch by checking the commit hash in your git history or comparing your installed CI4MS version number against 0.28.5.0 using `composer show ci4-cms-erp/ci4ms`

FAQ

What is CVE-2026-25510?

CVE-2026-25510 is a critical remote code execution vulnerability in CI4MS (CodeIgniter 4 CMS) that allows authenticated users with file editor permissions to upload and execute arbitrary PHP code by exploiting the file creation and save functionality.

Is CVE-2026-25510 being actively exploited?

No, according to CISA KEV data, CVE-2026-25510 is not currently listed as actively exploited in the wild. However, no public exploit is publicly available, which does not guarantee safety—you should still patch immediately due to the critical severity rating.

What versions of CI4MS are affected by CVE-2026-25510?

All versions of CI4MS prior to and including version 0.28.4.x are vulnerable. The vulnerability was patched in version 0.28.5.0 and later.

How do I check if my server is vulnerable to CVE-2026-25510?

Run `composer show ci4-cms-erp/ci4ms` in your CI4MS installation directory to check the installed version. If it is below 0.28.5.0, your server is vulnerable. Additionally, verify that file editor permissions are assigned to any user accounts by checking the RBAC configuration in your CI4MS admin panel.

Does Defensia detect CVE-2026-25510?

Yes — Defensia's CVE advisory scanner compares installed package versions against the NVD database. If CI4MS or PHP is installed on a monitored server, CVE-2026-25510 will appear in your dashboard with remediation steps.

Related PHP CVEs

CVE-2026-28289CVSS 10FreeScout is a free help desk and shared inbox built with PHP's Laravel framework. A patch bypass vulnerability for CVE-2026-27636 in FreeScout 1.8.206 and earlier allows any authenticated user with file upload permissions to achieve Remote Code Execution (RCE) on the server by uploading a malicious .htaccess file using a zero-width space character prefix to bypass the security check. The vulnerability exists in the sanitizeUploadedFileName() function in app/Http/Helper.php. The function contains a Time-of-Check to Time-of-Use (TOCTOU) flaw where the dot-prefix check occurs before sanitization removes invisible characters. This vulnerability is fixed in 1.8.207.
CVE-2025-62521CVSS 10ChurchCRM is an open-source church management system. Prior to version 5.21.0, a pre-authentication remote code execution vulnerability in ChurchCRM's setup wizard allows unauthenticated attackers to inject arbitrary PHP code during the initial installation process, leading to complete server compromise. The vulnerability exists in `setup/routes/setup.php` where user input from the setup form is directly concatenated into a PHP configuration template without any validation or sanitization. Any parameter in the setup form can be used to inject PHP code that gets written to `Include/Config.php`, which is then executed on every page load. This is more severe than typical authenticated RCE vulnerabilities because it requires no credentials and affects the installation process that administrators must complete. Version 5.21.0 patches the issue.
CVE-2025-47916CVSS 10Invision Community 5.0.0 before 5.0.7 allows remote code execution via crafted template strings to themeeditor.php. The issue lies within the themeeditor controller (file: /applications/core/modules/front/system/themeeditor.php), where a protected method named customCss can be invoked by unauthenticated users. This method passes the value of the content parameter to the Theme::makeProcessFunction() method; hence it is evaluated by the template engine. Accordingly, this can be exploited by unauthenticated attackers to inject and execute arbitrary PHP code by providing crafted template strings.
CVE-2025-25174CVSS 10Improper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement in PHP Program ('PHP Remote File Inclusion') vulnerability in beeteam368 BeeTeam368 Extensions beeteam368-extensions allows PHP Local File Inclusion.This issue affects BeeTeam368 Extensions: from n/a through <= 1.9.4.
CVE-2025-46348CVSS 10YesWiki is a wiki system written in PHP. Prior to version 4.5.4, the request to commence a site backup can be performed and downloaded without authentication. The archives are created with a predictable filename, so a malicious user could create and download an archive without being authenticated. This could result in a malicious attacker making numerous requests to create archives and fill up the file system, or by downloading the archive which contains sensitive site information. This issue has been patched in version 4.5.4.

References

Track CVEs across your fleet automatically

Defensia scans your Linux servers and tells you exactly which ones are running vulnerable versions — including CVE-2026-25510. Free for 1 server.

Get started free