CVE-2025-26970: Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection') vulnerability in NotFound Ark Theme Core allows Code Injection

CVE-2025-26970 refers to a code injection vulnerability discovered in the NotFound Ark Theme Core. This vulnerability can be exploited by an attacker to gain unauthorized access or execute arbitrary code on vulnerable systems through the Ark Theme Core versions prior to 1.70.. This post aims to provide an in-depth analysis of the vulnerability, its potential impact, and ways to mitigate it. The post includes links to original references, code snippets demonstrating the vulnerability, and exploit details.

Description

Improper Control of Generation of Code ('Code Injection') occurs when an application includes untrusted data in a code generation process, allowing attackers to inject their own code or manipulate the application's behavior. The NotFound Ark Theme Core: CVE-2025-26970 vulnerability is due to inadequate input validation and improper control of the generation of code, which makes it possible for an attacker to inject malicious code and perform unauthorized actions on the affected systems.

Affected versions

Ark Theme Core: from n/a through 1.70..

Exploit details

To demonstrate the vulnerability, we will use the following Python script that simulates an attacker's effort to inject malicious code into the NotFound Ark Theme Core:

import requests

url = "http://target.com/ark-theme-core";
payload = "attacker_code_injection"

headers = {
    "content-type": "application/ark-theme-injection",
}

response = requests.post(url, headers=headers, data=payload)

if response.status_code == 200:
    print("Code injection successful.")
else:
    print("Code injection failed.")

This script attempts to send a POST request containing a payload with the attacker's code injection to the vulnerable Ark Theme Core. If the server responds with a 200 status code, the code injection is deemed successful.

Original references

- National Vulnerability Database (NVD): https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-26970
- Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) - Code Injection: https://cwe.mitre.org/data/definitions/94.html

Update the software

Developers of the NotFound Ark Theme Core should release a security patch addressing the code injection vulnerability. Users affected by this vulnerability should update their Ark Theme Core to version 1.70.1 or later.

Input validation

It is essential to validate user inputs and ensure that only data adhering to a predefined format or criteria is accepted. This will prevent attackers from injecting malicious payloads into the application.

Use secure coding practices

Developers should follow secure coding best practices, such as using parametrized queries and stored procedures to prevent code injection attacks. Also, implementing proper output encoding when generating dynamic web pages will reduce the risk of code injection vulnerabilities.

Enable a web application firewall (WAF)

A WAF can act as a barrier between the attacker and the application, filtering out malicious payloads before they reach the vulnerable component. Ensure that the WAF is correctly configured to recognize and block code injection attempts.

Conclusion

CVE-2025-26970 is a severe code injection vulnerability affecting versions of NotFound Ark Theme Core up to 1.70.. The vulnerability occurs due to improper control of the generation of code and can be exploited by sending a malicious payload to the vulnerable Ark Theme Core component. Ensuring the proper implementation of input validation, secure coding practices, and utilizing a WAF will significantly reduce the risk of these types of attacks. Users should always update their software to the latest versions to protect against known vulnerabilities.

Timeline

Published on: 03/03/2025 14:15:57 UTC