CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2026-39387NVD status: Analyzed

BoidCMS: Improper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement in PHP Program

Published Updated By the CyberSecBulletin desk

CVE-2026-39387 is a high-severity improper control of filename for include/require statement in PHP program vulnerability in BoidCMS, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.2 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an attacker with administrator privileges, without any action from a user. Affected BoidCMS versions: < 2.1.3. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.74% chance of exploitation within 30 days, higher than 55% of scored CVEs.

Next patch cycle

High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.

What to do

  1. Check which version of BoidCMS you run against the affected versions below, and install the vendor's latest release.
  2. Read the advisory on github.com for workarounds and exact fixed builds.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
BoidCMSBoidCMS< 2.1.3Not stated

Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.

How the severity score breaks down

Attack vector
NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
Attack complexity
LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
Privileges required
HighAdministrator-level access is required first.
User interaction
NoneNo action by a victim is required.
Scope
UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
Confidentiality
HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
Integrity
HighData or code can be modified at will.
Availability
HighThe component can be taken down completely.

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by CNA (github.com).

Official description

BoidCMS is an open-source, PHP-based flat-file CMS for building simple websites and blogs, using JSON as its database. Versions prior to 2.1.3 are vulnerable to a critical Local File Inclusion (LFI) attack via the tpl parameter, which can lead to Remote Code Execution (RCE).The application fails to sanitize the tpl (template) parameter during page creation and updates. This parameter is passed directly to a require_once() statement without path validation. An authenticated administrator can exploit this by injecting path traversal sequences (../) into the tpl value to escape the intended theme directory and include arbitrary files — specifically, files from the server's media/ directory. When combined with the file upload functionality, this becomes a full RCE chain: an attacker can first upload a file with embedded PHP code (e.g., disguised as image data), then use the path traversal vulnerability to include that file via require_once(), executing the embedded code with web server privileges. This issue has been fixed in version 2.1.3.

Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.

The underlying weakness: Improper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement in PHP Program

The PHP application receives input from an upstream component, but it does not restrict or incorrectly restricts the input before its usage in require, include, or similar functions.

How developers prevent this class of flaw

  • Use a vetted library or framework that does not allow this weakness to occur or provides constructs that make this weakness easier to avoid.
  • When the set of acceptable objects, such as filenames or URLs, is limited or known, create a mapping from a set of fixed input values (such as numeric IDs) to the actual filenames or URLs, and reject all other inputs. For example, ID 1 could map to inbox.txt and ID 2 could map to profile.txt. Features such as the ESAPI AccessReferenceMap provide this capability.
  • For any security checks that are performed on the client side, ensure that these checks are duplicated on the server side, in order to avoid CWE-602. Attackers can bypass the client-side checks by modifying values after the checks have been performed, or by changing the client to remove the client-side checks entirely. Then, these modified values would be submitted to the server.

More Improper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement in PHP Program vulnerabilities (CWE-98)

Timeline

  1. CVE record published.
  2. CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: poc, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
  3. Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).

References

Patches and release notes

Recent Improper Control of Filename for Include/Require Statement in PHP Program vulnerabilities

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