插件名称	LatePoint
漏洞类型	Local File Inclusion
CVE 编号	CVE-2025-6715
急	高
CVE 发布日期	2025-08-13
源网址	CVE-2025-6715

LatePoint < 5.1.94 — Unauthenticated Local File Inclusion (CVE-2025-6715): Risk, Detection, and How WP-Firewall Protects Your Site

作者： WP-Firewall Security Team
日期： 2025-08-14

A critical unauthenticated Local File Inclusion (LFI) in LatePoint prior to 5.1.94 (CVE-2025-6715) allows attackers to read local files, exposing credentials and enabling deeper compromise. This post explains the vulnerability, real-world risks, detection indicators, mitigation steps, and how WP-Firewall protects sites when immediate patching isn’t possible.

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TL;DR

LatePoint versions earlier than 5.1.94 contain an unauthenticated Local File Inclusion (LFI) vulnerability (CVE-2025-6715) with a high severity score (CVSS 8.1). An attacker can include and display local files from your web server — potentially exposing database credentials, API keys, and other secrets. The single, most effective fix is updating LatePoint to 5.1.94 or later. If you cannot update immediately, apply mitigation layers: virtual patching via a Web Application Firewall (WAF), temporary plugin removal or restricted access, hardened file permissions, and incident response steps including credential rotation and forensic checks. WP-Firewall customers can enable virtual patching and turn on targeted protections to block common LFI patterns for this plugin immediately.

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What happened: vulnerability summary

On 13 August 2025 a high-severity Local File Inclusion (LFI) vulnerability affecting the LatePoint WordPress plugin was published and assigned CVE-2025-6715. The vulnerability allows an unauthenticated attacker to pass crafted input that results in the inclusion of local files on the web server. In practical terms, an attacker can read files from the filesystem and have their contents exposed via the webserver response. Files often targeted include configuration files with credentials (for example wp-config.php or other local .env and config files) and logs — all of which can lead to full site compromise when combined with subsequent actions.

Key facts:

• Vulnerability type: Local File Inclusion (LFI)
• Affected versions: LatePoint < 5.1.94
• Fixed version: 5.1.94
• Privilege required: None (Unauthenticated)
• CVSS: 8.1 (High)
• Impact: Disclosure of local files (credentials, keys) → possible database takeover, remote code execution via chained attacks, or further lateral movement on the site

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Why LFI is so dangerous for WordPress sites

Local File Inclusion may appear to be “just” a read-only issue (information disclosure), but in WordPress environments LFI often leads to catastrophic outcomes:

• Sensitive files (wp-config.php, .env, private keys) frequently contain database credentials and API tokens. When read by an attacker, those credentials can be reused to connect to databases or third-party services.
• LFI can be chained with other vulnerabilities or crafted payloads (e.g., log poisoning) to achieve remote code execution (RCE).
• Automated scanners and exploit kits quickly weaponize published LFI vulnerabilities. Because this LatePoint vulnerability is unauthenticated, it is a ripe target for mass scanning and exploitation.
• Compromised credentials or a webroot information disclosure can lead to full site takeover — defacements, spam, cryptomining, data theft, and being used as a pivot point to attack other systems.

Given how quickly scanning tools work, protecting and patching immediately is essential.

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Who is at risk?

Any WordPress site running the LatePoint plugin at versions older than 5.1.94 is at risk — especially if the plugin is publicly accessible (most are) and the site is reachable from the Internet. Because the flaw is unauthenticated, no valid login is required to attempt exploitation. Sites in shared hosting environments, or those with weak file permissions and stored credentials in readable files, are at elevated risk.

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Immediate recommended actions (step-by-step)

If you manage one or more WordPress sites that use LatePoint, follow these steps in priority order.

1. Confirm plugin version
   • Log into WordPress admin → Plugins and check LatePoint version.
   • If you don’t have admin access, check the plugin’s readme.txt or plugin file header in the filesystem, or inspect installed plugin files via SFTP.
2. Update (best fix)
   • Update LatePoint to 5.1.94 or later immediately. This is the canonical fix.
   • If auto-updates are enabled and your updater pulled the fix, verify file modification times.
3. If you cannot update immediately: enable mitigations (virtual patching)
   • Apply a WAF rule to block LFI payloads and requests that target LatePoint plugin files. WP-Firewall customers can have targeted virtual patching applied immediately to block the exploit patterns for this CVE.
   • If you manage your own WAF, see the “WAF rules and detection” section below for rule examples.
4. Consider temporary plugin removal or access restriction
   • If updating is impossible and you cannot virtual patch, consider deactivating LatePoint until a safe state is reached.
   • If LatePoint is used only in admin or booking flows, restrict access to its endpoints by IP (if feasible).
5. Hardening
   • Ensure wp-config.php and other critical files are not web-accessible.
   • Enforce strong file permissions (PHP files: 644 / 640; directories: 755 / 750 depending on hosting).
   • Disable PHP execution in uploads and plugin-specific upload directories via .htaccess or server config.
6. Incident response checklist (if you suspect compromise)
   • Take a full backup (files + database) and snapshot the server if possible.
   • Check webserver and application logs for suspicious activity (indicators below).
   • Scan for web shells and unexpected PHP files or cron jobs.
   • Rotate database, API, and other credentials that could have been exposed.
   • Rebuild compromised systems from clean backups if integrity cannot be guaranteed.

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Detection: what to look for (indicators & logs)

Because this is an unauthenticated LFI, attacks will look like HTTP requests with local path traversal patterns or attempts to load specific plugin paths. Below are detection patterns and sample log entries to watch for.

Common payload patterns (typical LFI characteristics):

• Directory traversal sequences:
  • ../../../../etc/passwd
  • ..%2f..%2f..%2fetc%2fpasswd (URL-encoded)
  • ../../../../wp-config.php
• Encoding evasion:
  • %2e%2e%2f (URL encoded)
  • double-encoding: %252e%252e%252f
• Attempts to include plugin-relative paths:
  • /wp-content/plugins/latepoint/... plus traversal payloads
• Suspicious params that include file names: file=, include=, path=, template=

Sample Apache access log entries (examples for detection — do not treat as exploit recipes):

• 192.0.2.45 - - [14/Aug/2025:10:12:02 +0000] "GET /wp-content/plugins/latepoint/public.php?file=../../../wp-config.php HTTP/1.1" 200 532 "-" "Mozilla/5.0 (compatible)"
• 203.0.113.58 - - [14/Aug/2025:10:14:10 +0000] "GET /?lp_action=view&path=..%2f..%2f..%2fetc%2fpasswd HTTP/1.1" 200 1245 "-" "curl/7.79.1"

Search your access logs and web application logs for:

• Requests to plugin paths containing ../ 或者 %2e%2e
• Any requests returning content that looks like configuration files (e.g., lines containing DB_NAME, DB_USER)
• Unexpected 200 responses for requests that should return 404 or 403

File system indicators:

• Unexpected new PHP files in uploads, plugin, or theme directories
• Modified timestamps on core files or wp-config.php
• New scheduled tasks (crontab entries) or WordPress scheduled events that run unexpected code

Database indicators:

• New admin users
• Unexpected changes to critical options
• Suspicious content in posts or pages (spam injections)

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WAF rules and virtual patching (practical defensive patterns)

If you cannot immediately apply the vendor patch, a WAF virtual patch can block exploit attempts. Below are defensive patterns and example rules for different WAF stacks. These are intended as detection/blocking suggestions — apply and test rules in a staging environment before production to avoid false positives.

重要： The rule logic should combine plugin-specific path targeting with traversal signature to minimize false positives.

Suggested generic rule (pseudo-regex logic)

• Block requests where:
  • The request targets paths under /wp-content/plugins/latepoint/ OR LatePoint-specific endpoints, AND
  • The query string or request body contains directory traversal sequences (../ or URL-encoded equivalents) OR attempts to reference wp-config.php, .env, /etc/passwd, or other sensitive file names

Example ModSecurity rule (conceptual — adapt to your environment):

SecRule REQUEST_URI "@contains /wp-content/plugins/latepoint/" "phase:1,deny,status:403,id:1001001,rev:1,severity:2,msg:'Block LFI attempts targeting LatePoint plugin',log,chain"
  SecRule ARGS|REQUEST_HEADERS|REQUEST_URI|REQUEST_BODY "(?:\.\./|\%2e\%2e/|\%2e\%2e%2f|etc/passwd|wp-config\.php|\.env)" "t:none,t:urlDecode,t:lowercase"

Example Nginx location block (deny suspicious attempts):

location ~* /wp-content/plugins/latepoint/ {
    if ($request_uri ~* "(\.\./|%2e%2e|etc/passwd|wp-config\.php|\.env)") {
        return 403;
    }
}

Example lightweight detection rule (regex for many WAFs):

/(\.\./|\%2e\%2e/|\%2e\%2e%2f|etc/passwd|wp-config\.php|\.env)/i

Tip: Avoid overly broad rules that block all ../ occurrences globally — these can break legitimate flows. Scope rules to plugin paths and known endpoints where the plugin accepts parameters.

WP-Firewall virtual patching

• WP-Firewall’s managed ruleset includes targeted signatures for CVE-2025-6715 that block the exploitation patterns at the web edge.
• Rules are designed to be minimally invasive: they match exploit behavior (e.g., traversal combined with plugin endpoint) rather than blocking all traversal characters site-wide.
• Activating virtual patches in WP-Firewall is a quick way to protect thousands of sites without immediate code changes — an essential stop-gap until a patch is applied.

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Hardening & server-side mitigations

Beyond updating and WAF protections, harden the environment to make LFI exploitation harder or less useful.

1. Restrict file access and permissions
   • Set wp-config.php to 400 or 440 if hosting permits, or 640 depending on process user.
   • Ensure plugin and theme files are owned by the right user and not world-writable.
2. Disable PHP execution in uploads and plugin file directories where possible
   • Add an .htaccess (Apache) or nginx config to deny PHP execution in wp-content/上传 and any directories where users can upload.
3. Remove sensitive files from webroot
   • Do not store backups, credentials, or config files within web-accessible directories.
4. Isolate sensitive operations
   • Move sensitive configuration files outside the webroot when hosting allows.
5. Use least privilege for database accounts
   • Database accounts used by WordPress only need SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE — avoid granting SUPER or FILE privileges.
6. Monitor integrity
   • Enable file integrity checks (hash-based monitoring) and alert on changes to core files and plugin directories.
7. Enforce timely updates and automatic patching where safe
   • Use a controlled automatic update policy or centralized management that allows fast rollouts for emergency patches.

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If you suspect you were exploited: incident response checklist (detailed)

If detection indicates potential exploitation, treat the site as potentially compromised and follow these steps:

1. Isolate
   • Take the site offline or put it in maintenance mode if required to prevent further data exfiltration.
   • If host-level compromise is suspected, coordinate with the hosting provider and consider snapshotting the server.
2. Preserve evidence
   • Archive webserver logs, application logs, and current filesystem state for forensic analysis.
3. Full backup & snapshot
   • Create a clean snapshot and separate backups of current DB and files.
4. Scan and hunt
   • Scan file system for known web shells and anomalous PHP files.
   • Look for recently modified files, cron entries, or WP scheduled tasks created around the time of suspicious requests.
5. Remove malicious artifacts
   • Remove identified backdoors and suspicious files. If you cannot guarantee you cleaned everything, consider a full rebuild from known-good backups.
6. Rotate credentials
   • Regenerate database credentials, API tokens, and any secrets found in logs or files. Update wp-config.php with new database credentials.
   • Reset WordPress administrator passwords and review all user accounts for unknown administrators.
7. Reinstall and harden
   • Reinstall WordPress core, themes, and plugins from trusted sources after cleaning.
   • Apply the LatePoint security update (5.1.94+) before re-enabling plugin functionality.
8. Monitor
   • Maintain heightened logging and monitoring for a period after remediation to ensure no reinfection or persistent beaconing.
9. Report
   • If the compromise affects user data or is part of a broader incident, follow legal and regulatory disclosure requirements.

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How to verify the patch and confirm safety

After updating to LatePoint 5.1.94 or applying WP-Firewall virtual patching, perform these checks:

• Version check: Confirm plugin is listed as 5.1.94+ in Plugins > Installed Plugins.
• Filediff: Compare changed plugin files against the vendor’s 5.1.94 release or a trusted copy to confirm the patch was applied correctly.
• Log validation: Search for recent LFI attempts and verify they are blocked (403 responses or WAF logs).
• Test endpoints: In a staging environment, test plugin endpoints for expected behavior. Do not attempt to exploit or run weaponized payloads against production systems.
• Scan: Run a full malware scan and file integrity check.
• Credential audit: Confirm credentials rotated and no suspicious database connections exist.

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Why virtual patching matters (and when to use it)

Virtual patching (also known as vPatching) is an important risk-management tool:

• It provides immediate protection at the edge while a vendor patch is being developed or while you schedule maintenance.
• It’s non-invasive: no changes to plugin code are required, so you avoid the risk of breaking site functionality during an emergency.
• For unauthenticated, high-severity vulnerabilities (like this LFI), virtual patching is one of the fastest ways to reduce exposure at scale.

WP-Firewall virtual patching is maintained by security analysts who rapidly deploy targeted rules to protect the community. If you cannot update a critical plugin immediately — for example, due to complex integrations or scheduled maintenance windows — enabling virtual patching buys time and reduces the attack surface.

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Example: detection and mitigation checklist you can use right now

• Check if LatePoint is installed and confirm version.
• If version < 5.1.94 — schedule immediate update.
• If you cannot update within 24 hours — enable WAF rule targeting LatePoint LFI patterns.
• Search access logs for “../”, “%2e%2e”, “wp-config.php”, “etc/passwd” combined with plugin paths.
• Ensure wp-config.php permissions are restrictive and not world-readable.
• Disable plugin and test site functionality if you suspect compromise.
• Perform a full site backup and scan for web shells.
• Rotate all secrets and reset admin passwords.

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Indicators of Compromise (IoCs) — examples to hunt for

• HTTP requests targeting LatePoint plugin paths with traversal payloads:
  • /wp-content/plugins/latepoint/public.php?file=../../../wp-config.php
  • /?lp_action=view&path=..%2f..%2f..%2fetc%2fpasswd
• Access logs returning 200 responses with content that contains “DB_NAME” or “DB_PASSWORD”
• New files in wp-content/上传 with PHP content or obfuscated code
• Unexpected admin user creation timestamps aligned with attack attempts
• Outbound connections from the webserver to unfamiliar IP addresses shortly after suspicious access

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Post-incident hardening: long-term measures

• Establish a patching SLA (e.g., critical security patches applied within 24–72 hours).
• Centralize monitoring and automated alerts for exploitation patterns.
• Harden server-level configurations (disallow_file_edit 在 wp-config.php, disable PHP execution in uploads).
• Adopt defense-in-depth: WAF + secure hosting + least-privilege accounts + backups + monitoring.
• Train site admins on incident detection and safe update procedures.

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A word on responsible disclosure and timelines

Security research, vulnerability disclosure, and fixing require communication between researchers, plugin developers, and site owners. When a high-severity issue is disclosed publicly, the immediate responsibility for site owners is to apply available fixes and mitigations. If an official patch exists (as it does now — 5.1.94), apply it. If it is not possible, virtual patching and the mitigations described here are valid and necessary interim steps.

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Why WP-Firewall customers get faster protection

At WP-Firewall we monitor emerging WordPress plugin vulnerabilities continuously and deploy targeted protections quickly. For events like CVE-2025-6715 our process is:

1. Rapid analysis of published vulnerability details.
2. Development of targeted WAF signatures that block exploitation patterns with minimal collateral impact.
3. Deployment of virtual patching rules to shield protected sites while recommending the official plugin update.
4. Continuous tuning of rules based on observed attack patterns and false-positive feedback.

If you run LatePoint and you want immediate protection while you schedule the plugin upgrade, enabling WP-Firewall virtual patching and managed rules will significantly reduce your risk exposure.

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Protect your site right away — start with our free plan

You don’t have to wait to get meaningful protection. WP-Firewall’s Basic (Free) plan gives you essential defenses immediately, including our managed firewall, unlimited WAF bandwidth, malware scanning, and protections that mitigate OWASP Top 10 risks — everything you need to block automated LFI attempts and many other common exploit techniques. Upgrade anytime for automated malware removal, IP blacklisting/whitelisting, vulnerability virtual patching, and premium support. Learn more and sign up for the free plan here: https://my.wp-firewall.com/buy/wp-firewall-free-plan/

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Final thoughts — be proactive, not reactive

This LatePoint LFI illustrates how a single unauthenticated flaw can put an entire WordPress site at risk. The best approach is layered:

• Patch promptly (update to LatePoint 5.1.94+).
• Use virtual patching when immediate code changes aren’t possible.
• Harden file permissions and server configurations.
• Monitor logs for indicators and take a structured incident response approach when needed.

If you manage WordPress sites at scale, consider a managed protective layer that can push targeted virtual patches the moment a new exploit appears. Combining timely patching with managed defenses reduces your blast radius and keeps your sites resilient against fast-moving threats.

If you want assistance implementing the mitigations above, step-by-step WAF rule guidance, or help applying our virtual patches for this specific CVE, our security team is available to help assess and protect your environment.