# CVE-2022-25485: CuppaCMS - RCE

> Live exploitation tracking for CVE-2022-25485 by the CrowdSec Live Exploit Tracker, built from real-world attack data crowdsourced from CrowdSec's global network.

Page: https://tracker.crowdsec.net/cves/CVE-2022-25485

## Key facts

- **Exploitation phase:** Limited Exploitation. The vulnerability is known but shows very limited attacker interest or exploitation activity.
- **CVSS score:** 7.8
- **Public exploit available:** Yes
- **Affected products:** CuppaCMS
- **Weaknesses:** CWE-829 (Inclusion of Functionality from Untrusted Control Sphere)
- **Tags:** cms

## Description

CuppaCMS v1.0 was discovered to contain a local file inclusion via the url parameter in /alerts/alertLightbox.php.

## CrowdSec analysis

[CVE-2022-25485](https://euvd.enisa.europa.eu/vulnerability/CVE-2022-25485) is a local file inclusion vulnerability in CuppaCMS v1.0, specifically through the url parameter in /alerts/alertLightbox.php. This flaw could allow attackers to include and execute arbitrary files on the server, potentially leading to remote code execution, data theft, or further compromise of the affected system.

CrowdSec has been tracking this vulnerability and its exploits since 17th of June 2026.

According to CrowdSec data, while opportunistic exploitation dominates, a portion of threat actors trying to exploit CVE-2022-25485 apply basic targeting methods such as port or service detection. This indicates emerging patterns of selective targeting.
CrowdSec data also reveals a clear uptick in attacks involving CVE-2022-25485 over the past week. Activity is above the usual baseline, suggesting growing attention from attackers. This may reflect rising awareness, recent exploit releases, or expanded targeting efforts.

Attackers exploit the `/alerts/alertLightbox.php` endpoint by sending POST requests with the `url` parameter containing directory traversal sequences to include sensitive local files. This technique is commonly used to access files like `/etc/passwd` on vulnerable Cuppa CMS installations.

## Timeline

- 2022-03-15: CVE Published. CVE-2022-25485 is published to NVD.
- 2026-06-17: Rule Released. CrowdSec releases a rule to detect CVE-2022-25485 exploitation attempts against the CrowdSec Network.
- 2026-06-17: CrowdSec First Seen. CrowdSec observes in-the-wild exploitation of CVE-2022-25485 for the first time.

## References

- https://github.com/CuppaCMS/CuppaCMS/issues/24
- https://github.com/projectdiscovery/nuclei-templates/blob/main/http/cves/2022/CVE-2022-25485.yaml

## Live exploitation data

The [Live Exploit Tracker page](https://tracker.crowdsec.net/cves/CVE-2022-25485) follows observed exploitation activity for CVE-2022-25485. [Request an API key](https://tracker.crowdsec.net/request-api-key) for full access to its exploitation timeline, attacking IP addresses and blocklists.